Are Men Routinely Given More Time To Speak During Elk Grove City Council Meetings?

Dennessa Atiles at Elk Grove Council Meeting on October 10

During the October 10  Elk Grove City Council meeting, Elk Grove resident Dennessa Atiles remarked that the male speakers are allowed an extended amount of time for comments and dialogue compared to a female speaker. She stated that during the City Council meeting that “men are routinely given more time to speak.” Additionally, Dennessa remarked on that male speakers were, more often than not, “asked questions and more engaged” by the City Council.

Important to note, this criticism was emphatically denied by Mayor Steve Ly. Ly noted that they: “allow folks to have an opportunity wrap up so if it was a little bit over, that should be fine.”  However, it should be noted that, during the public comment, the male speakers were not interrupted during their allotted 3 minutes even after the timer went off whereas the female speakers were interrupted and cut off after 3 minutes. Furthermore, it did seem that the City Council engaged the male speakers more than the female speakers.

Elk Grove City Council meeting archives:http://www.elkgrovecity.org/city_hall/city_government/live___archived_broadcasts