CINCINNATI — After several meetings in 2024 that featured hours of public comment, Cincinnati Mayor Aftab Pureval announced the city will now limit public comment at council meetings to 30 minutes.
Pureval announced the change before the council's Jan. 8 meeting, saying public comment will now last between 1:30 and 2 p.m. to make time for the council's business meeting. Speakers who sign up and are not able to speak before 2 p.m. will be prioritized for the next meeting, the mayor said.
He also noted that speakers can be suspended if they are disruptive or disrespectful.
"We will not tolerate obscene language. We will not tolerate homophobic, racist rhetoric, and if that happens, we will be forced to remove the speaker and suspend them for a period of time to be determined," Pureval said.
In February 2024, council members heard from more than 100 speakers either in favor of or against the city taking up a resolution for a ceasefire in the Israel-Hamas war. The public comment session lasted four hours before Pureval stated a resolution was never formally on the agenda.
While most of the remarks were respectful, the crowd did occasionally boo or cheer some speakers, forcing Pureval to remind the crowd about decorum.
One month later, the council passed a resolution calling for a six-week ceasefire after more residents spoke for or against the formal statement.
The council also heard hours of public comment before passing the Connected Communities zoning overhaul in June and adopting a motion to allocate money for transgender youth mental health services in November.
