Mayor defends Mount Prospect disabling comments from village social media platforms

Months after limiting remarks at village board meetings, Mount Prospect leaders recently took another step in managing public comment, this time on social media.

The village announced comments were disabled on social media channels earlier this month.

The policy affects the village’s Facebook, X, YouTube and Instagram pages, as well as the social media platforms of the police, fire and public works departments.

The purpose was “to ensure accurate information sharing, maintain respectful discourse and manage public resources responsibly,” the announcement read.

Mayor Paul Hoefert said the village made the decision after consulting with trustees.

“I don’t think it comes anywhere near censorship,” he said. “Those outlets are to disseminate information and get things out there into the public and not to create necessarily a situation where all of a sudden people can start commenting.”

Hoefert complained some people have used the platforms to make hateful or negative comments.

He said residents still have multiple venues to voice concerns, including several resident social media groups.

But resident Dawn Reichl-Hahn sees the move as part of a broader pattern following recent changes to public comment procedures at village board meetings, including the four-minute speaker time limit.

“I am outraged that this is taking place,” she said. “By closing off communication to the citizens of our community, you're saying that your doctrine is correct and that the villagers of Mount Prospect have no input other than what you're telling us is right.”

But another resident, Jan Meyer, supported the decision.

“I think it’s necessary,” she said. “Everything they post turns into a big debate. They put stuff out there for information. They don't put it out there for people to give their opinions.”

Mount Prospect’s move follows the footsteps of Mundelein, where commenting was eliminated on the village’s official Facebook page as part of a new social media policy recently.

Mundelein’s policy also advised elected officials to avoid answering questions about village issues in community Facebook groups.

Burr Ridge has also disabled comments on its Facebook page.

The Iowa chapter of the American Civil Liberties Union has opined that governments and officials aren’t obligated to allow comments on social media pages, but they also shouldn’t “filter which views get to be expressed” by allowing some to comment and not others.