Tallahassee City Commission votes 3-2 against requiring agreement to end meetings

The 3-2 division that underlines the strife on Tallahassee's City Commission was on display again Wednesday, as a motion to require commissioners to vote to end meetings was shot down on a split vote.

Under current protocol, the mayor gavels meetings to a close. Previously, there have been abrupt adjournments amid a raucous parade of speakers and flaring tempers between commissioners in the "sharing of ideas" portion that concludes meetings.

Mayor John Dailey and Commissioners Dianne Williams-Cox and Curtis Richardson voted against an idea by Commissioner Jack Porter and supported by Commissioner Jeremy Matlow to institute a motion to adjourn at the end of their meetings, which would have to be approved by at least three members.

During the commission's sharing of ideas, Porter advocated for a motion, rather than have Dailey adjourn meetings on his own. Porter explained that Dailey, accidentally or not, has cut her off at the end of meetings.

Requiring a motion and a vote would make the body hew more closely to Robert's Rules of Order, said Porter, who is running for re-election against a candidate backed by Dailey.

Williams-Cox said she has "presided over many, many meetings" and there has "never been a requirement to motion to adjourn." Richardson agreed.

"I don't think it rises to the level of a requirement to have a motion," said Richardson, who is also running for re-election against an opponent backed by Matlow.

Dailey pointed out that Porter wanted to "take away the chair's power to adjourn" and said such a change is not necessary.

"If anybody ever made a motion to adjourn, I'd entertain it immediately," he said.

But Porter noted how a motion to adjourn was a requirement for Blueprint Intergovernmental Agency meetings, adding that "this is not an extraordinary request."

"I'm not really sure what the big deal is and that's what's frustrating," Porter said. "To hear my colleagues say we don't have a problem when one of us is saying we do ... I'd appreciate the respect of not dismissing what has been my experience."

Commissioner Jeremy Matlow added that he's "been at frequent meetings that end with the chair angrily expressing a position and then quickly adjourning so there can be no rebuttal or debate."

He added, "If we're going to have honest debates, let's make sure everybody's ready to end the conversation."

The city commission now is on break for the month of July and will reconvene in August.

Arianna Otero is the City Solutions Reporter for the Tallahassee Democrat. Contact her via email at AOtero@tallahassee.com or on Twitter/X: @ari_v_otero.

This article originally appeared on Tallahassee Democrat: Tallahassee City Commission votes 3-2 against requiring agreement to end meetings