Kudos to Edison Council VP Margot Harris - 'It shouldn't be so hard to do the right thing.'

 With all due credit the edisonreporter.com:

Council VP Excoriates Council President's Attempt To Limit Public Comment - Edison Reporter

The Edison Reporter StaffSeptember 10, 2024

Before any residents who came to the meeting to speak out against the council president’s policy to limit public comment had the opportunity, Council Vice President Margot Harris read a prepared statement. With a steely gaze and a voice filled with conviction, she delivered a prepared statement that excoriated Council President Nish Patel’s actions. Her words cut through the tension in the room, galvanizing the already simmering discontent among the attendees.

“I have written this, I don’t usually write my comments, but I this needed to written because I had a lot of them. The two word headline to describe my feelings about this ordinance is absolutely outrageous. 

It seems more than coincidental that this ordinance has come up in the wake of the 8/26 and 8/28 council meetings when council president had some issues with several resident speakers. I was vacation for those meetings, but I watched them on YouTube upon my return. 

My position on this ordinance change has not shifted since it was first discuss two years ago. I’m told part of the rationale behind this change is that it will help cut back the length of council meetings. But who is the real beneficiary of this change, I suspected this is more for the sake of council members, then it is for the public who have the option of leaving the meeting, whenever they want and can watch the rest of it on either Edison TV or YouTube. 

I would remind my Council Colleagues who are in favor of this ordinance change that we were elected to serve the best interest of the township of Edison and it’s residents; and while I don’t like long meetings anymore than the rest of you, I respect the needs of our constituents who very much value and want to keep the current ordinance and allow for transparency they seek. 

In my 2 1/2 years on the council never once has a resident complaint to me that the speaking time is to generous, in my view the only problem with the six minutes lies and the way they are handled by the council president or other members of council who interrupt the speaker instead of just allowing them to speak there peace and then sit down. Yes, some speakers can be provocative but as the saying goes; you don’t have to attend every argument you’re invited to. 

In short, the resident who attend our meetings are the remotely deserve much more respect, and consideration than this therefore, I will emphatically be voting on this conceived ordinance. Thank you.”

The Council Vice President’s strong rebuke highlights the growing tension within the Council over Council President Patel’s leadership style. Critics argue that Patel’s approach is overly autocratic and dismissive of dissenting viewpoints. 

Council Vice President Harris’s statement is likely to further galvanize opposition to Patel’s policies and has already sparked a grassroots response. His attempt to limit public comment has led to a petition on change.org, urging the Council to maintain the current public comment time at meetings, has quickly gained traction. This public outcry underscores the deep concern among community members about Patel’s perceived disregard for transparency and public participation in the decision-making process. The petition serves as a powerful reminder that any attempts to curtail public input will be met with strong resistance.