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<br />DISCUSSION AND DEBATE <br /> <br />A prime purpose of deliberative governing bodies is to secure the collective judgment of <br />the group on proposals submitted to it for a decision. Thus, the right of each Commissioner <br />and the City Manager to participate in the discussion on each matter of business before the <br />Commission is a fundamental principle of parliamentary law and the Charter of the City of <br />Casselberry. Debate is to be regulated by parliamentary procedures in order to assure that <br />each Commissioner and the City Manager has a reasonable and equal opportunity to be <br />heard. <br /> <br />OBTAINING RECOGNITION FOR DEBATE <br /> <br />1. As soon as a debatable motion has been moved, seconded and stated by the Mayor, <br />any Commissioner has the right to discuss it after being recognized by the Mayor. A <br />Commissioner who has been recognized is entitled to be heard as long as the rules <br />of debate are observed. <br />2. Usually, the Commissioner that has proposed the motion should be allowed the <br />opportunity to speak first to the issue being discussed and usually is allowed to <br />speak last on it. <br />3. A Cornmissioner that has not spoken to an issue should be allowed priority to speak <br />over Commissioners that have spoken previously to the motion under consideration. <br />4. The Mayor should alternate between proponents and opponents of a motion <br />whenever possible to assure that discussion occurs more equitably. <br />5. Commissioners should attempt to be brief and speak with relevancy to the motion <br />being discussed, avoiding repetitive comments or statements. <br />6. Debate should be fundamentally impersonal. All discussion should be addressed to <br />the Mayor as presiding officer and should not be directed to individual <br />Commissioners. An item may be discussed with vigorous support or opposition, <br />but it is never appropriate to attack the motives or character of another <br />Commissioner either directly or by innuendo or implication. It is the duty of the <br />Mayor as presiding officer to immediately stop such discussion from proceeding. If <br />the Mayor as presiding officer fails to do so, any other Commissioner may raise a <br />point of order and call the Mayor's attention to the speaker's misconduct. <br />7. A Commissioner that fails or refuses to speak in an orderly and courteous manner <br />may be denied the opportunity to speak and may be excluded from further <br />participation in the meeting by a majority vote of Commissioners in attendance. <br /> <br />TIME LIMITS ON DEBATE <br /> <br />I. There is no standard time limit for discussion during the debate of a motion. <br />2. Debate should ordinarily be kept within reasonable time limits by the Mayor as <br />presiding officer and generally confined to the subject matter under consideration. <br />3. If debate is to be limited, then each Commissioner shall be allocated equal time and <br />time allocated to one Commissioner shall not be transferred to another. <br /> <br />3 <br />