Democracy Is Messy

by Michael J Badagliacco, “MJB”

Sit through enough City Council meetings and the “circus” talk starts to sound like a convenient label that doesn’t quite fit. What’s actually happening is simpler: more people are participating.

Democracy is messy. That line is getting a workout in Montrose. The gallery is getting fuller, public comments run longer. A small group has been a regular presence for months, and plenty of people in town agree with them and plenty don’t. That doesn’t cancel out the fact that they are there. Local government is supposed to hear from the public, not only from the ones already lined up with the Council.

Most people would prefer a quiet, orderly meeting. Not everyone who shows up is looking to cause chaos. The worse option is an empty chamber and a city that has checked out. Better to hear all sides in the same night. A town where everyone nods along doesn’t help us learn much, any more than muscle grows from sitting still.

Once Council meetings and work sessions opened up to real back-and-forth, the tone changed. Some of what gets said is pointed. Some of it is hard to sit through. That is not a breakdown or a “circus.” That’s what happens when “we the people” get open, spirited debate.

Elected office is not a dinner party. The people who like what you are doing rarely take up the microphone. The ones who don’t will. It’s easy to enjoy the public comment period when the speakers are on your side. It’s another thing when they are not.

The September 1 meeting saw a full gallery. People who previously stayed home filled the seats, and the crowd looked more like the whole of Montrose, this is what the hope has always been, meaningful diverse opinions that are representative of ALL of Montrose. That is public participation at work. I for one appreciate that we are seeing this level of participation.

How can you help? 

- Become informed on the issues

- Be an active participant

- Vote

When you attend a City Council meeting, be respectful of others, whether you agree with them or not. I ask that you always show respect for your fellow citizens and for the business before the Council, especially when we disagree.

We are a community of differing views and strong opinions. That can sometimes create tension. It is still important to respect those differences, even when it means we agree to disagree.

Councilor Reed and I have come together to find common ground to begin moving things forward in the best interest of the community.  If we can do so, our community can follow our lead. Your participation in this effort is vital.

To some it may look like a circus, to me it looks like civic engagement in action.  But every opinion deserves to be heard and respected.  Understanding that, Democracy is messy. We must understand that we won’t always agree.  Not every comment is helpful. Not every meeting is buttoned down and tidy. But the process is working.