KILLEEN, Texas — In November of 2023, the Killeen City Council voted to do away with citizen petitions and add a public comment section to the end of the meeting for non-agenda items.
This is a move that some council members say isn’t going well.
”We’re hearing a lot this that has nothing to do with anything,” said Killeen City Council Member, Jose Segarra.
“It's like, 'I don’t like the mayor,” and somebody put a dollar up — that's very disrespectful. That has nothing to do with why we’re there.”
Segarra says that public comments at the end of the meeting are getting out of control and they plan to vote on removing them Tuesday.
There have been mixed responses to this possible change.
Segarra says that the public has asked him to get rid of the public comments at the end of the meeting but council member, Riakos Adams is hearing different from the people he represents.
”There are people that are outright against changing and there are few people that say get rid of it,” Adams said.
When asked what they would say to somebody that feels this is taking away their right to free speech, and their ability to address directly to their elected officials, similar answers arose.
”They can still address any issue that’s is on the agenda,” Adams said.
”They can come out there and speak to any Item that is on the agenda,” Segarra said.
Council member Riakos Adams is voting against getting rid of citizen petitions in November.
Both Adams and Segarra say they want to hear more before voting but say something has to change, because the city and the council have looked increasing worse at every meeting and that can affect the image and economic growth they have been working on.
The special workshop meeting starts at 5 p.m. on Tuesday, and the city says it will also be meeting with its attorney to discuss rules of decorum.
Part of what the city said is leading to the possible vote on removing citizen comments on non-agenda items.
25 News also reached out to mayor Debbie Nash-King for her response, but she was unavailable for comment.
