Who is Robert, and why do his rules run your government

Have you ever watched a government meeting and wondered why they all seem to follow specific rules every meeting? Or maybe you’ve been to a Mat-Su Borough Assembly meeting and noticed how formal and orderly everything seems? These meetings follow parliamentary procedure, and understanding these rules can help you be a better participant in local government.

Parliamentary procedure is like a playbook for running meetings. Just like sports have rules about how to play the game, meetings have rules about how to discuss issues, make motions, and vote on decisions. These rules help keep meetings organized and fair for everyone involved.

Most government agencies and organizations use Robert’s Rules of Order as their guide. This book, first written in 1876, gives step-by-step instructions for running meetings. However, there is no requirement for any agency to use them. Each municipality can adopt its own version of these rules or make changes that work better for its specific needs. Some agencies even their own rules entirely.

So you might notice differences between how the Borough Assembly runs its meetings compared to a City Council. Palmer might allow public comments at different times than Wasilla does. The Borough might have different rules about how long someone can speak.

These variations happen because each government body can customize the rules to fit its community’s needs. In the City of Houston, public comments at the city council are three minutes each, but its Planning & Zoning Commission allows five minutes per speaker.

When someone has a concern about whether the rules are being followed correctly, they can raise what’s called a “point of order.” This is like calling a timeout in sports to question whether the rules are being followed. Only a member of the elected body can do this. Any assembly member can do this during a meeting if they think something isn’t being done according to the rules. Audience members cannot raise this concern.

When someone raises a point of order, the presiding officer of the meeting makes the final decision to recognize or act on it. This is usually a mayor or whoever is appointed by the body in the mayor's place. Some areas have a process for the entire council or assembly to override a ruling by the presiding officer.

Many government bodies have someone called a parliamentarian. This person is an expert in parliamentary procedure who helps the mayor or assembly chair make sure the meeting follows the rules correctly. Think of them as a referee who knows the rules by heart.

The municipal clerk plays a crucial role in all of this. The clerk is responsible for knowing the rules and helping elected officials follow them. They keep track of motions, votes, and ensure the meeting minutes accurately reflect what happened. In the Mat-Su Borough, Palmer, and Wasilla, the clerk often serves as the keeper of institutional knowledge about how things should be done.

If you want to learn more about parliamentary procedure in your community, start by contacting your municipal clerk’s office. They can provide you with what specific rules your local government follows.

The Alaska Municipal League also provides resources and training for local governments throughout the state. Their website contains helpful information about how Alaskan municipalities operate.

Learning parliamentary procedure requires commitment because of how complicated it is. That’s why not everybody is qualified to be a parliamentarian. In fact, many people new to elected office have never used parliamentary procedure before. It helps to give everyone a fair chance to be heard, and it helps to make decisions in an organized way. The next time you attend a local government meeting, pay attention to how these rules work in action.

Christian M. Hartley is a 40-year Alaskan resident with over 25 years of public safety experience and public service. He runs a freelance business, Big Lake Writer, from home in Big Lake that he shares with his wife of 19 years and their three teenage sons.