The Vance County Board of Commissioners has adopted policies that spell out how individuals are expected to conduct themselves when addressing the board during public comment periods and during public hearings.
The public comment policy covers 10 different points which go into detail about the various aspects ranging from its length – 30 minutes – to the topics a speaker may discuss – “the business and activities of the county.”
The public comment policy is just more than a page long, and includes a summarized version in paragraph form at its conclusion.
The public comment period is designed to allow members of the public to speak to the board about “matters that are relevant to the body to which the comments are made;” it is different than a public hearing, which is a formal opportunity for the public to speak on a certain topic before the commissioners.
Individuals who wish to speak during the public comment portion of a commissioners’ meeting need to sign up in the 30-minute period that takes place before a commissioners’ meeting. That 30-minute period ends 15 minutes before the start of the meeting. So if the board meeting begins at 6 p.m., prospective speakers should sign up between 5:15 p.m. and 5:45 p.m.
Speakers sign in with the clerk by providing their full name, their contact information and the topic they wish to discuss.
Comments are restricted to the business and activities of the county. Each speaker will have 3 minutes to address the board. A speaker can have an additional 3 minutes from another person who’s signed up to speak, with the total number of minutes by one speaker not to exceed 10 minutes.
Speakers will be called in the order they signed up and if a group of speakers presents itself, that group must designate a spokesperson. If the group doesn’t choose a spokesperson, the board chair or designee can choose a spokesperson or refuse to hear from the group until they choose a single person to speak on the group’s behalf.
Those speakers who want to address the board in a language other than English must first offer remarks in English. The standard 3-minute rule applies, with no additional time provided. A speaker may ask that a translator be used if the speaker is unable to present remarks in English.
View the commissioners’ public comment policy in its entirety at https://www.vancecounty.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/05/Public-Comment-Policy-Revised-May-2026.pdf
The public hearing policy lists 8 guidelines, several of which are similar in nature to those of the public comment policy.
One difference, however, is that speakers are limited to 3 minutes and may not receive additional time from others. A spokesperson for a group of three or more may speak up to 8 minutes, with additional time given at the board’s discretion.
Another difference is that a speaker will be asked to note whether he’s in favor of or in opposition to the topic he or she wishes to discuss.
View the commissioners’ public hearing policy in its entirety at
https://www.vancecounty.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/05/Public-Hearing-Policy-May-2026.pdf
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