The Delaware County New York Board of Supervisors does not let the public speak at its board meetings. We, the undersigned, request that the Supervisors remedy this situation by granting the public `Privilege of the Floor` and allow citizens to speak and voice their concerns at regular board meetings.

Currently, citizens who wish to speak are only allowed to do so if a member of the Board chooses to support them; this policy creates an undemocratic echo chamber, in which those who agree with the Board are invited to speak, while those who disagree are silenced. Alternative avenues for public participation, such as letters to the editor, are ineffective, because the Board only posts its agendas 48 hours before its meetings.

While the board of supervisors is not legally required to allow public participation at its meetings, the New York State Open Meeting Law allows the board to enact protocols, rules and regulations giving the public the opportunity to speak. Hundreds of municipalities throughout the state, and many here in Delaware County, New York, benefit from allowing citizens to speak publicly at meetings.

We believe that the Board of Supervisors gains nothing by continuing to deny its citizens the right to be heard at Delaware County Board of Supervisors meetings, and that the Board would benefit from increased public participation and find it useful and informative to allow citizens the opportunity to speak at meetings. We encourage the board to adopt a resolution creating a public privilege of the floor immediately.

Sign petition at bit.ly/delcospeaks