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Start a debate

Open a debate your council will actually read

A good local debate names one decision, one body and one timeline. Fill this in and our moderators will check the sources before it goes live — pre-moderation applies to your first three posts, after that your debates publish immediately.

Before you start: check whether a debate already exists for this decision — browse debates — and find the body that votes on it in the directory. A debate aimed at the wrong body is the most common reason a good argument goes nowhere.

1. The proposition
Phrase it as a yes/no question a body can decide. Example: “Should Denver extend library hours to Sundays citywide?”
“Denver should extend library hours to Sundays at every branch.”
2. Where and who decides
City council, county board, school board, planning commission, transit board, or the voters at a referendum.
3. Context
What is proposed, by whom, on what timeline, and what the law allows. Write it so that someone who disagrees with you would call it fair.
4. Opening arguments and evidence
One URL per line. Staff reports, ordinances, budget documents, agency data and peer-reviewed research carry the most weight; a link to a paywalled news story is fine if you summarize the relevant finding.
5. You
Used to verify your account and your jurisdiction. Never shown publicly.