How to Testify

Speaking at a public hearing or submitting written comments is one of the most powerful ways to make your voice heard. There’s no wrong way to do it, and we’re always here to help! This page covers the processes for testifying before the Montgomery County Council and Planning Board and how to write testimony, tips for testifying, and sample testimony.

Screenshot from recording

Testifying at the County Council

How to sign up: You can sign up on the Council’s website. The sign up form will ask you to “state the nature of your interest in a short sentence(s).” Don’t sweat this too much! If there’s a waitlist, still sign up, because the Council is likely to accommodate people on the waitlist.

Time limit: 2 minutes — remember you can always submit longer written testimony!

What to expect: The day before, you will receive an email with information about how to join the public hearing by Zoom or phone. The email will ask for you to reply in order to confirm that you have received it.

Once you join the meeting, there will not be anyone to check you in, so just sit back and relax! Be sure to go on mute and turn your camera off while you wait. To know the order of speakers, check here after 11am the day of the public hearing. When the public hearing begins, a staff member will call your name and ask you to begin speaking.

Watch online: You can watch live or view recordings here. If you’re signed up to speak, you do not need to watch live because you will be in the meeting.

Remember to always submit a written version of your testimony to county.council@montgomerycountymd.gov!

Screenshot from recording

Testifying at the Planning Board

How to sign up: You can sign up on the Planning Board’s website. Select the item you want to testify for and fill out the form. Under group represented, select “not applicable” and speaker type “individual.” You can see what time the item is likely to come up by reading the Planning Board’s agenda. The deadline to sign up to testify is generally 12 noon on the Wednesday before the meeting.

Time limit: There’s not a hard time limit, but try to keep your comments to 3 minutes or less.

What to expect: Prior to the public hearing, you’ll receive an email with a Microsoft Teams link or phone number to call in during a designated time. Once you log on or call in, there will be a staff member to welcome you and ask to do a mic check. The order of speakers will be announced just prior to the public hearing and is always subject to change by the Chair. As soon as the Chair calls your name, your can begin speaking.

If you’re speaking during the day (rather than at an evening hearing), know that meetings can run long, so expect to be there longer than your anticipate.

Watch online: You can watch live or view recordings here. If you’re signed up to speak, you do not need to watch live because you will be in the meeting.

Remember to always submit a written version of your testimony to MCP-Chair@mncppc-mc.org!

How to Write Testimony

Because you usually only have a few minutes, writing testimony that is brief, yet captures all of your main points, can seem like a daunting task. Here is a quick guide for how to organize you testimony and make the writing process a little easier! These are all suggestions — not rules. You can use your time however you want!

  • Introduction: This should be very simple and straight to the point. Begin by thanking the members of the council or board you are testifying in front of. Next, state your name, where you live (just the city, not your full address!), and whether you support or oppose the item you’re testifying on.

    • You can also include other things that you feel are important to your identity, such as whether you are a renter or homeowner, your race or ethnic background, or your gender identity or sexual orientation. This is not required, but if you bring a perspective that you want to make sure is communicated to the people you’re testifying to, you’re welcome to do so.

  • Body Paragraph(s): Personal testimony is often the most powerful — share your own personal experiences and stories, to the extent you feel comfortable. Feel free to also include important data, evidence, and examples. Consider guiding questions like: Why does this matter to you? How would this policy change either help or hurt you and your neighbors? What are you excited about? What worries you? Is there anything that you would change about the bill, zoning amendment, or plan that’s being discussed?

    Often, Montgomery for All will providing talking points to help get you started, and you can always reach out to us for help if you’re unsure what to say!

  • Conclusion: Summarize your points, re-state your position on the measure, and conclude by thanking the members for their time.

Tips for Testifying

  • Be unique. The more person your testimony, the better! Use concrete examples from your life to show how the legislation would impact you.

  • Be respectful. Disagree with your opponents’ testimony without engaging in personal attacks, and never engage in accusations against opponents or public officials. Use positive language to build your argument.

    • Jokes are okay and often appreciated! Always be respectful, though.

  • Focus on the issue at hand. You only have a few minutes to share your message, so use your time wisely to state your position clearly and early on.

  • Practice beforehand. Make sure your remarks fit within the time limit!

    • You may want to create two versions of your testimony: one to be spoken out loud at the public hearing and a longer version with all your thoughts that can be submitted electronically.

    • If you feel comfortable, you can adjust what you’re going to say based on what other people have said.

  • Relax. No one is expecting you to be an expert orator, and public officials understand that not everyone is always comfortable speaking publicly. You’re going to do great!

Sample Testimony

These sample testimonies were taken from the public record available on the Montgomery Planning and Montgomery County Council websites regarding the Silver Spring Downtown and Adjacent Communities Plan, Thrive 2050, and ZTA 20-07.