MUNCIE, Ind. — Muncie City Council President Jeff Green, who was voted into the role at Monday night’s meeting, announced changes to how the public comment portion of meetings would be handled. Taking effect at the next meeting Feb. 2, the changes include limiting each person’s time to two minutes, requiring speakers sign up before the meeting, having the public comment portion take place before agenda items instead of after the fact, and requiring every speaker’s home address be stated. Along with these changes, there will no longer be comments from the audience for ordinances that are introduced, and instead only if they are up for adoption.

The meeting was the first of 2026 and required voting a new president, vice president, and reading secretary. Last year two members, Jerry Dishman and Brandon Garrett, each switched their political affiliation from Democrat to Republican, which effectively made the council majority Republican by 5-4. After two years of voting Democrats into the positions, council voted Republican Jeff Green as president, Dale Basham as vice president, and Ro Selvey as reading secretary. Their new legal counsel is Jagen Arnold from Arnold Law Office, 410 South D St, Richmond. Green announced the public comment changes immediately after the four roles were voted on.

Green stated: “starting next month we’re going to have public comment at the beginning of the meetings and not the end. Seven o’clock will be the cut off. If you’re not on the list you will not be speaking that night. When you come to speak, you will give your name and your address, and tell us that when you come forward again at the mic. You will be given two minutes in order to speak. On introductions of ordinances, there will not be comment at the beginning of an introduction, only when those will be adopted you’re allows to speak. Comments will be very carefully spoken. We’re not going to use foul language. We’re not going to heckle other people we’re going to conduct ourselves in a civil manner, in a manner in which you would like to be treated.”

The decision was challenged by council members Nora Powell, who was concerned about the timing and length of public comment, and Sara Gullion, who challenged the legality of Green’s rules and asked Jagen Arnold to look into her concerns.

Green also told the audience that council would “not put up with language nor attitudes that are incorrect and would cause dissension.”