The Warren County Board of Supervisors meeting on March 18, 2025, presented a challenge that required both a loud voice and a strategic mind. The current meeting structure imposes a “time penalty” on civic engagement, requiring residents who wish to speak on general topics to wait until the very end of the night—often two hours after the meeting begins.
Bypassing the Barrier
I believe that public input should be a priority, not an afterthought. To highlight the flaws in this restructuring, I strategically tied my comments to Item B (Adoption of the Agenda) and Item Q (Additional New Business). This allowed me to take the podium just eight minutes into the meeting rather than two hours later.
As I pointed out to the Board, anyone determined enough can cite their general comments as addressing the public comment policy itself—an existing agenda item. If the goal of the split-comment policy was to push criticism to the late hours, the setup is fundamentally undermined by the Board’s own rules of order. I urged them to consult Robert‘s Rules and reconsider a structure that treats community input as a meaningful part of the decision-making process.
A Call for Ethical Governance
Beyond procedural fairness, I raised a serious concern regarding unauthorized recordings of closed sessions. Public trust is the currency of local government, and that trust is bankrupt when officials record private conversations or executive sessions without approval.
I cited two recent, sobering examples from across the country:
- Ronald Lee Johnson Jr. (Jan 2025): Removed from a school board and charged with felony obstruction following secret recordings.
- Mayor Jane Claire Wisdom (Dec 2024): Faced a vote of “no confidence” for similar ethical breaches.
To prevent such misconduct here in Warren County, I urged the Board to implement a formal orientation and ethics course for all elected and appointed officials. We already have the framework in our own County Code (Chapter 5) and the State and Local Government Conflict of Interest Act. It is time we prioritize the training necessary to uphold those standards.
Final Thought
Whether navigating a restrictive agenda or advocating for the integrity of closed doors, my goal remains the same: ensuring our local government is accessible, transparent, and accountable. If the “grass” is going to be green in Warren County, the roots must be watered with ethical behavior and open dialogue.
Watch the Strategic Commentary
You can view the specific sections of my testimony and the cases I referenced here:
- 0:00 – Challenging the Flaws in Public Comment Rules
- 1:10 – The Case for Ethics Training & Unauthorized Recordings
Transcript (auto-generated)
Comment Rules
0:00good evening my name is Lewis moton from North River and uh I’d like to speak on the agenda items B DQ and R regarding
0:08
8 secondsItem B adoption of the agenda the way the meetings are structured impacts public engagement the agenda sets priorities and public input should be a
0:16
16 secondskey part of that process to ensure transparency and access accessibility under items DNR public
0:23
23 secondscomment periods separating General comments into the last portion of the meeting limits participation many residents cannot wait hours to speak
0:32
32 secondsanyone determined enough can reference their General comment as being about public comment itself and existing agenda item just to be allowed to speak
0:42
42 secondsearlier if the goal was to separate criticisms from the main discussion this setup completely undermines itself for
0:50
50 secondsitems Q andr additional new business the board can introduce new topics at any time but the public is forced to wait
0:58
58 secondsuntil the end of the meeting to do the same this structure makes Community input feel like an afterthought rather than a meaningful part of the decis decision
1:06
1 minute, 6 secondsmaking you might want to look up Robert’s Rules lastly under item Q I encourage the board to consider an
Chapter 2: Unauthorized Recordings & Ethics Training
1:14
1 minute, 14 secondsorientation course for all elected and appointed officials on ethics as recent events highlight its importance on
1:22
1 minute, 22 secondsJanuary 19th 2025 Ronald Lee Johnson Jr was removed from the Johnson County school board after secret recordings of closed sessions led to to fill
1:30
1 minute, 30 secondsobstruction charges in December 2024 Adelia Hills Council declared no confidence in mayor Jane CLA wisdom for
1:38
1 minute, 38 secondssecretly recording private conversations and violation of ethical standards unauthorized recording of a closed
1:46
1 minute, 46 secondssession without approval erods public trust and could constitute misconduct when done by an official in December
1:53
1 minute, 53 secondsJohn Jenkins referenced various ethics codes a good starting point for for review includes worm county code chapter 5
2:00
2 minutes6-2a employee conduct code 3.0 D2 and the state and local government conflict of interest act 22- 3100 I have urged
2:10
2 minutes, 10 secondsthe board to ensure public comments are treated fairly and to prioritize ethical governance that Fosters transparency and
2:17
2 minutes, 17 secondsaccountability thank you
