ALTON – Meeting participants at Alton City Hall may soon have less time to address the city’s elected officials.
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Alton Committee of the Whole members are set to consider a resolution at their next meeting on Tuesday, Jan. 27, 2026 which would shorten the time limit for public comments from the current five minutes to three minutes per speaker.
If more than 10 people sign up to make comments at the same meeting, each individual’s time would be limited further to just two minutes per speaker. If approved, these new time limits would apply to both Committee of the Whole and City Council meetings.
Ward 1 Alderman Chris Bohn introduced the resolution, which would also impose new restrictions on public comments if passed. All remarks are to be “addressed to the Council as a whole,” and speakers “may not donate their time to another person” under the proposed amendments to the City Code.
The resolution also calls for those addressing the council to refrain from certain behaviors, including disorderly speech or action, name-calling or personal attacks, obscene or indecent remarks, and “derogatory comments on personalities.” It would also prohibit speakers from promoting or advertising products or services, promoting “any contest or lottery,” or promoting candidates for public office or upcoming ballot measures.
Those who engage in acts prohibited under these new rules may be “barred from further audience before the Council during that meeting” under the proposed resolution. If passed by the Committee of the Whole, the item goes next to the Alton City Council on Jan. 28, 2026 for final consideration and approval.
By contrast, Wood River City Council members narrowly voted 3-2 in 2023 to extend the time limit for public comments from three minutes to five minutes. More details are available in this previous story on Riverbender.com.
Follow the discussion and vote on this and other agenda items at the Jan. 27, 2026 Alton Committee of the Whole meeting live on Riverbender.com/video/live.
