SOPCHOPPY, Fla. (WTXL) - In a town of only about 450 people, word travels fast. Thanks to social media, comments, pictures, and videos are at our fingertips even faster.
That's why the City of Sopchoppy voted to adopt an official social media policy Monday night. It comes after a disagreement between city commissioners and taxpayers about what's appropriate for a city official to post online.
"I don't think that any of these members of this council here have the right to tell anyone else how to speak or how to conduct themselves," said Wakulla County resident Tim Caldwell.
"You don't put certain things on social media because you are representing this city. You are a face of this city," said Sopchoppy Resident Martha Evans.
Strong words and a packed house as people filled Sopchoppy City Hall to sound off in real life about social media.
At the center of the debate is city council member Becton Roddenberry. Recently, he's been criticized for posting, among other things, shirtless selfies and personal opinions about city business.
Some people in town say, when it comes to your personal page, your posts and your selfies are your business. Others think when you represent a city, there has to be a line.
"But it's a hard line to define because as I've said, we're all different and you can't repress people's freedom of speech," said Sopchoppy Mayor Lara Edwards. "You cant repress who they are or really what they want to say on their own individual social media pages. But we can try and protect the city."
That's what Sopchoppy's new policy aims to do, spelling out what's unacceptable to say online. However, there are no repercussions for city council members if they violate the policy because they're elected officials, not city employees.
Council members are still allowed to use their own social media to share their personal views and opinions. They just have to make sure everyone knows that opinion doesn't represent the city as a whole.
Roddenberry says he's glad the new policy doesn't promote censorship. That's why he voted for it.
"I'm not going to change who I am," said Roddenberry. "I don't wear masks, I don't do that. So I'm going to be true to myself and be true to who I am and I'm going to continue to do just as I've been doing."
