Citizen Comments

The City Council welcomes and encourages public input on matters related to city governance. This page outlines the procedures for providing citizen comments during our regular City Council meetings. Read the City's policy for Rules for Persons Addressing City Council here. Read the North Carolina General Statute regarding Public Comments here.

In-Person Citizen Comment Period


A dedicated time is set aside during each regular City Council meeting for citizens to address the Council on any topic not listed on that meeting's agenda.

  • Time Limit: Each speaker is allotted a maximum of three (3) minutes to present their comments and five (5) minutes if one speaker has been designated to speak for a group.

  • Sign-Up: Citizens wishing to speak must sign the Citizen Comment Speaker Sheet available at the meeting entrance prior to the start of the meeting.

  • Decorum: Speakers must state their name and address for the record. Comments should be directed to the Council as a body, not to individual Council members or staff. Personal attacks, obscene language, or disruptive behavior are prohibited.

  • Response: The City Council may, at its discretion, direct staff to follow up on a concern, but generally will not engage in a debate or take action on comments during this period.

New Online Citizen Comment Submission Procedure


The City Council offers an online submission form for citizens to provide comments electronically. Submissions will be distributed to the City Council prior to the meeting and will be included in the official public record. Citizen comments will no longer be read during the City Council meeting.

  • Submission Window: The online form will be open for submissions once the agenda is available on our website and will close at 3:30 PM the day of the meeting.

  • Accessing the Form: The link to the Citizen Comment submission form will be posted in the Form and Document section on our website, only during the active submission window.

  • Content and Length: Submitted comments should adhere to the same standards of decorum as in-person comments. Please keep your submission concise; a comment of roughly 500 words or less is recommended to ensure your points are clear and easily reviewed by the Council.

  • Public Record: All online comments submitted through the form will become part of the official public record for that meeting.


To learn more about the North Carolina General Statute concerning Public Comments, click here.