How to Speak at a Council Meeting

Please complete all sections of the Public Comment Submission Form. The Deputy Clerk of Council will contact you ahead of the meeting with further instructions. Please review the guidelines below.

Public Comments Guidelines For City Council Meetings

  1. Public comment periods will be held on the second and fourth Monday of each month at all regular meetings of the City Council unless otherwise announced.
  2. Individuals who wish to speak to Council shall submit a request to the Clerk of Council by Noon on the Friday prior to the regular Council meeting date.
  3. Each speaker shall state his or her name and address for the submission and at the meeting.
  4. Presentation time limits for each individual will be limited to five minutes.
  5. There will be a limit of five speakers for each public comment period.
  6. No individual may speak more than once per comment period.
  7. Speakers should not address an item that already has a public hearing component at that same meeting.
  8. A speaker may not present the same subject to Council in consecutive meetings.
  9. Speakers cannot:
    • Promote private business ventures.
    • Campaign for office.
    • Use language that insults or demeans any person.
    • Make frivolous statements.
    • Address Council on issues that do not concern the services, policies, or affairs of the City of Salem.
  10. The speaker must be a Salem resident or own a business located in Salem.
  11. Speakers must stay on the topic they signed up for in their original submission.

Thank you to all citizens who come to speak at our council meetings. Everyone is encouraged to attend and speak at meetings. To secure a time, please email the Deputy Clerk of Council or call 540-375-3017.