Tamarac has stopped allowing public comments on some of its social media channels.
City spokesperson Ciera Campbell told Tamarac Talk the city made the decision “in collaboration with the City Commission.” It was not immediately clear whether any commission members opposed the policy change, which was not voted upon or discussed at any commission meetings.
Until recently, anyone could comment on the city’s posts on Facebook and Instagram, as well as in the live comments section during live-streamed commission meetings on Facebook Live. Those features are no longer active, officials said.
The city’s YouTube channel was still open to comments as of Tuesday. Several of the city’s X posts also remained open for commenting.
Campbell said the decision to disable social media commenting “was reached through a thoughtful and unified process to prevent the spread of misinformation and promote a more focused and informative environment for sharing city updates and resources.”
Before implementing the change, Campbell said, “city leadership ensured the approach aligns with all applicable legal guidelines and is consistent with policies found in other jurisdictions.”
All but a handful of Florida municipalities allow comments on their social media channels. Those that have opted to disable the feature include Alachua and Manatee Counties.
Tamarac officials did not immediately respond to a question about whether other Broward cities have similar policies, or whether any commission members opposed the move to block comments.
Campbell said residents “are still encouraged to engage with the City through a variety of official channels, including public meetings, email, phone, in-person, and SeeClickFix.”
She said the change reflects the city’s “commitment to clear communication, respectful discourse, and responsive local government.”
Courts have ruled government officials and municipalities have no obligation to open their social media accounts to public comment. But if they do open their comment sections, they must not discriminate against any viewpoints, or limit who does or does not get to comment.
Several Tamarac residents blasted the move as an effort by commission members to stifle criticism from the public.
“Are commissioners so thin-skinned that they can’t handle public comment?” said resident Kate Johnson. “This is outrageous.”
She added: “We need to question how this happened and why. And we need to demand they open it back up.”
Tamarac’s policy change follows the city commission’s decision in February to limit public participation at the start of their meetings, a move residents said was an attempt to stifle their speech.
The move was approved with a 3-2 majority: Mayor Michelle Gomez and Commissioner Morey Wright voted against the change, while Commissioners Marlon Bolton, Krystal Patterson, and Vice Mayor Kicia Daniel approved the move.
In doing so, the trio made Tamarac the only municipality in Broward without a formal public comment period at the start of its commission meetings, according to city residents.
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