How to testify (and actually move votes)

Public hearings are decided by who shows up. Opponents always show up. Here’s how supporters do it well.

Before the hearing

1. Find the case on the tracker and read the agenda entry — know the case number, the request, and the staff recommendation.

2. Hearings are held at the City-County Building (200 E. Washington St.) — check the agenda for room and time. Most allow remote participation.

3. Sign up to speak when you arrive. You usually get two minutes.

What to say

• Say who you are and where you live. Proximity is credibility: “I live four blocks away, and I support this.”
• Be concrete. One real reason beats five abstractions: the empty lot, the coffee shop that needs customers, the kid who could walk to school.
• Support the ask, not just the vibe. Name the case number and say “I ask you to approve.”
• Stay gracious. Commissioners remember reasonable people.

If you can’t attend

Written comments count. Email the case planner listed on the agenda before the hearing date and reference the case number.