CITY of ALBUQUERQUE
TWENTY SIXTH COUNCIL
COUNCIL BILL NO. R-24-89 ENACTMENT NO. ________________________
SPONSORED BY: Renée Grout
RESOLUTION
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Directing The City Administration To Develop A Social Media Policy That Ensures Appropriate Use Of Official City Social Media Accounts (Grout)
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WHEREAS, when used appropriately, social media can be a valuable tool for the City, helping to meet important objectives such as providing essential information to residents about City news and activities, conducting community outreach, encouraging meaningful dialogue with residents, and promoting civic engagement; and
WHEREAS, Public Information Officers (“PIOs”) employed by the City and working for individual City Departments play a crucial role in furthering these objectives through the sharing of information about their departments; and
WHEREAS, City Departments serve and represent all City residents, who have diverse opinions and worldviews; and
WHEREAS, City employees also have diverse opinions and worldviews. While they are entitled to share their personal views, they should do so under their own names and not under the banner of the City or any City Department; and
WHEREAS, it is inappropriate for City Departments, PIOs, or Department heads to use the name of the City of Albuquerque and/or its City Departments to “push back” against individuals’ opinions online; and
WHEREAS, it is not the role of our City government to dictate public opinions or discourse; people are entitled to opinions even if we disagree; and
WHEREAS, City employees posting on behalf of a City Department or the City as a whole should remember that they are speaking, writing, and acting as “The City of Albuquerque” and not themselves as individuals; and
WHEREAS, City social media posts should be true, helpful, and necessary; if a post does not meet all three criteria, it should not be made public; and
WHEREAS, all City employees are responsible for protecting the credibility and integrity of the City and its Departments - a responsibility that is particularly important in social media environments; and
WHEREAS, inappropriate use of social media by the City of Albuquerque can erode the City’s relationship with the public, which is especially detrimental when social medial is misused by public safety-related City Departments; and
WHEREAS, official postings and information provided by the City via social media channels should help foster and maintain the public trust; and
WHEREAS, Administrative Instruction No. 1-19, Social Media Policy (2022) addresses many important issues related to social media use; however, in light of repeated occurrences of inappropriate social media use, additional guidance should be developed to ensure that these communications are effective, professional, and align with public expectations.
BE IT RESOLVED BY THE COUNCIL, THE GOVERNING BODY OF THE CITY OF ALBUQUERQUE:
SECTION 1.
A. The City Administration is directed to develop a comprehensive social media policy to ensure that City social media accounts are used appropriately. The policy shall include, at a minimum, the following:
1. Behavioral Expectations: Outline the expected standards of behavior on social media, including respectfulness, professionalism, and adherence to the City’s values.
2. Content Specifications: Specify of the types of content that are appropriate (e.g., public service announcements, event promotions, emergency information) and what should not be posted (e.g., personal opinions, personal attacks, argumentative or confrontational responses.
3. Prohibition on Personal Attacks: Explicitly require that City social media accounts refrain from posting personal attacks, arguing with members of the public, or otherwise posting in a manner that is disrespectful or could erode public trust in the City.
4. Response Guidelines: Provide guidelines on how to appropriately and respectfully respond to comments and messages, including handling negative, misleading, or inflammatory posts from members of the public without being confrontational.
5. Monitoring and Review: Establish a process for monitoring and regularly reviewing all official social media accounts for compliance with the policy.
6. Disciplinary Actions: Define specific disciplinary actions for misuse of official social media, including retraining, reprimands, suspension, and/or termination, depending on the severity of the incident(s) and whether it is a repeated issue.
7. Restorative Actions: Outline restorative actions that may be necessary, including strategies for rebuilding public trust, revoking social media privileges, or issuing public corrections or apologies when appropriate.
8. Policy Review: Set a regular schedule for reviewing and updating social media policies to ensure they remain relevant and effective.
B. The City Administration is directed to make all social media policies, including but not limited to, the policy required by this Resolution, any Administrative Instructions, and any other relevant policies, easily accessible to the public on the City’s Transparency webpage. The Transparency webpage shall also contain a mechanism for providing feedback on the City’s social media policies and reporting potential violations.
SECTION 2. Within 30 days of the City Council’s approval of this Resolution, the City Administration shall provide to the Council via Executive Communication, a copy of the policy developed pursuant to this Resolution, a confirmation that the City’s Transparency webpage has been updated, and any other relevant updates regarding official social media use.
SECTION 3. SEVERABILITY. If any section, paragraph, sentence, clause, word or phrase of this Resolution is for any reason held to be invalid or unenforceable by any court of competent jurisdiction, such decision shall not affect the validity of the remaining provisions of this Resolution. The Council hereby declares that it would have passed this Resolution and each section, paragraph, sentence, clause, word or phrase thereof irrespective of any provision being declared unconstitutional or otherwise invalid.
SECTION 4. COMPILATION. SECTION 1 of this Resolution is to be complied as a new Article 12 in Chapter 3 of the City of Albuquerque Code of Resolutions, titled “Official City Social Media Accounts.”