UPDATE August 2013: For more on the public’s right to speak at meetings, click here. I find that many local officials are unclear about the statutory requirement that they hold “public comment periods” on a regular basis.  In this post, … Read more

In an earlier blog, I discussed the meaning of “public office.”  As promised, I will now examine multiple and ex officio office-holding.

The clerk to a local governing board writes that her board, like most boards these days, is interested in finding ways to save money.  Two of their ideas deal with maintaining minutes of board meetings.…

What’s a “Public Office”? I am often asked to explain what it means to hold a public office. The questioner is sometimes trying to decide whether a particular person must take an oath, which is required of public office-holders.  Or, the person … Read more