Cleveland aldermen consider changing city meeting times to boost attendance

Mayor Michael Belcher and the Cleveland Board of Aldermen spent part of a recent meeting looking at whether future city meetings should move to a different time, a change that could decide who in Cleveland can actually make it to City Hall on 100 North Street. The board’s regular meetings are now set for the first Monday of every month at 5:30 p.m. in the Board Room, a time that works for some residents but can shut out working parents, shift workers, seniors with evening routines and others who cannot easily leave work or find a ride after hours.

City records show the July 6, 2026 regular meeting of the Mayor and Board of Aldermen was posted at 5:30 p.m., underscoring that the current schedule remained in place unless the board acts to change it. Cleveland already puts mayor-and-board agendas and minutes online through its Agenda Center and posts meeting recordings on YouTube, including the July 6, 2026 session and a February 2, 2026 regular meeting, giving residents another way to follow votes and discussion when they cannot sit through the meeting in person.

The timing debate matters because aldermen handle the city’s most practical business, from streets and drainage to public safety coordination, utility matters, neighborhood complaints and budgeting. A later meeting could make it easier for residents to speak during public comment and hear how decisions are made on downtown work, roads, police issues and city services. A different time could also affect staff schedules, committee planning and work sessions, especially if the city wants meetings to line up better with the way residents already navigate work and family obligations.

Mississippi State University Extension says the Mississippi Code is silent on municipal meeting procedure in many respects and that municipalities may adopt their own rules when state law does not prescribe them, giving Cleveland room to adjust its schedule if aldermen decide the change would help. The city already uses different timing for another public body: the Planning Commission meets at 4 p.m. on the third Thursday of every month at City Hall. That separate schedule shows Cleveland already knows how to vary meeting times, and the aldermen’s discussion now centers on whether the board’s own meeting hour should change to widen public access.