By Cris Alarcon, InEDC Writer. Feb 6, 2026)
PLACERVILLE, Calif. — More than 116 El Dorado County residents have signed a petition circulating in early February 2026 urging the Board of Supervisors to rescind a recently adopted public comment policy and restore traditional item-by-item opportunities for public participation at Board meetings.
The petition contends that the Board’s current practice — which consolidates all non-hearing public comment into a single three-minute period at the start of meetings — effectively silences residents from speaking on specific agenda items once discussion and decision-making begin. Under the agenda format posted for the Board’s Jan. 6, 2026 meeting, public comment on remaining agenda items (excluding public hearings) is taken only once at the outset of the meeting, after the consent calendar, rather than before each specific item.
“This is about whether the people of El Dorado County have a real seat at the table — or are reduced to watching decisions after the fact,” the petition states. “We urge the Board to choose openness, accountability, and trust.”
Supporters of the petition argue that the current structure undermines the public’s ability to respond meaningfully to discussions as they unfold. A sampling of comments appended to the petition include:
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Ray Nutting: “Hearings are for the public. Limiting public dialog to one time 3 minutes in the morning for all items before the BOS makes no sense. Please reconsider!”
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Dave Kelley: “You need discussion and feedback to make good decisions.”
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Linda Campbell: “It is critical that citizens are able to engage with real time data and discussion. This procedure needs to be changed back…”
Several commenters also framed their concern in terms of civic rights and transparency. “We the people have the right to speak!” wrote Rhondella Dickerson, while another signer said, “This is the people’s Government, not a dictatorship.”
The petition cites California’s Ralph M. Brown Act as the statutory basis for its claims. The Brown Act generally guarantees members of the public the right to address a legislative body on any item of interest before or during consideration of that item. Petition organizers contend that bundling comments at the start of meetings — before materials are presented and before deliberations begin — conflicts with the law’s intent to allow timely, informed public input.
Board of Supervisors governance documents indicate that the Board traditionally provides time for public input at every meeting, with speakers typically allowed up to three minutes per comment. The Board’s governance manual affirms that, “Pursuant to the Brown Act, before or during consideration of each agenda item, the public must be given an opportunity to comment on the item.” However, recent agendas reflect a shift toward consolidated comment periods for non-hearing items.
Officials with the Board of Supervisors have not yet issued a public response to the petition as of Feb. 7, 2026. A spokeswoman for the Board did not immediately respond to requests for comment.
Background: The petition was circulated in late January and early February and has drawn signers from across the county. Signatories include registered voters from communities such as Shingle Springs, El Dorado Hills, and beyond. Some residents pledged to bring the issue before supervisors directly at upcoming meetings, while others called for broader civic action.
Local government transparency advocates say the outcome of this debate could shape how county officials engage with residents on issues ranging from land use and budgeting to public safety and infrastructure.
- The Declaration of Independence: The Founders cited the British King’s refusal to hear public concerns as a primary justification for revolution, noting, “In every stage of these Oppressions We have Petitioned for Redress in the most humble terms: Our repeated Petitions have been answered only by repeated injury”.
- James Madison: Often called the “Father of the Constitution,” Madison argued that a Bill of Rights was essential because it gave people “good ground” to rally opposition against oppressive acts of government.
- Thomas Jefferson: He famously stated, “Wherever the people are well informed, they can be trusted with their own government; that whenever things get so far wrong as to attract their notice, they may be relied on to set them to rights”. He also argued that “no government ought to be without censors” and that a free press was the primary tool for the public to exercise this censorship.
- Federalist No. 57 (Madison): Madison emphasized that the federal legislature would be “restrained by its dependence on its people” and that representatives would be “watched and controlled” by the public.
- Alexander Hamilton: Even Hamilton, who favored a more centralized government, noted in Federalist No. 33 that the “propriety of a law… must always be determined by the nature of the power” and ultimately by the “prudence and firmness of the people” who hold the scales of power.
- James Madison: He asserted that “those who are to be bound by laws, ought to have a voice in making them”.
- George Washington: He warned that if the public were precluded from “offering their Sentiments on a matter” of serious consequence, they would be led “like sheep, to the Slaughter”.
See the Petition here: https://www.ipetitions.com/petition/restore-the-publics-right-to-speak-at-el-dorado
