As a former Dickinson County Commissioner who helped draft the board’s bylaws, I’m alarmed by the proposal to amend them to dictate what visitors wear, how they address commissioners and how long they may speak. Bylaws exist to govern the conduct of the board — not to control the public.

The people who attend meetings aren’t intruders; they are owners of the government and commissioners conduct business in their name. Faith communities welcome people as they are; our county meetings should, too. The right to access, address or petition county government should never be qualified or controlled by wardrobe, speaking ability or political affiliation!

Decorum matters, and timekeeping can be fair — but those responsibilities rest with the chair and the commissioners, applied even-handedly and never as a tool to fence out criticism. A dress code or scripted forms of address invites arbitrary enforcement and chills speech. That’s the opposite of open government and the spirit of the First Amendment.

If commissioners want more respectful meetings, they can start by modeling respect: listen without eye-rolling, answer questions plainly when asked and keep their own debates on track. The gavel should be used for self-governance before it’s used to control constituents.

I urge the board to withdraw these changes and recommit to bylaws that hold the board accountable to the people, not the other way around. Dickinson County deserves meetings that are welcoming, accessible, and truly public.