What to say at your council meeting

You don’t need to be an expert to do this. Most city council meetings set aside time for anyone who lives there to speak for two or three minutes — no appointment, no special knowledge required. Here’s a script that fits in two minutes. Fill in your own words where you see a blank. Practice it out loud once before you go; that’s it.

The script

Good evening. My name is __________, and I live in __________.

I’m here about something happening in our town: __________ (for example: the license-plate cameras on Main Street, or the data center proposed near the school).

Here’s what I’m asking for. When an automated system — a camera network, an algorithm, a piece of software — makes a decision that affects someone’s life, I want a rule that says: a named person has to review it, and that person is accountable for it. Not “the system flagged it.” A person, with a name, who looked at it and signed off.

This isn’t a new idea. Montana already passed a law requiring a human being to review decisions an AI system makes on behalf of a state agency. I’m asking this council to do the same thing here, at our level, for the systems that touch our town.

I’m asking you to put a person’s name on the decision.

Thank you for your time.

Before you go

• Cross out anything that doesn’t sound like you. This script is a starting point, not a performance. Say it in your own words if that’s more comfortable.
• Bring a printed copy. Reading from a page is completely normal at these meetings — nobody expects you to have it memorized.
• You may get a short, awkward silence after you speak. That’s normal too. Councils often don’t respond to public comment in the moment; the comment becomes part of the public record either way.
• Not sure how to find your meeting or sign up to speak? See How to find your council meeting.