Surprise city council meeting descends into farce as woman 'evicted' after verbal battle with mayor over $274k question

Surprise, Arizona: A recent city council meeting in Surprise descended into acrimony after a woman was arrested for trespassing following a heated exchange with city officials. The woman's 10-year-old daughter was present during the fracas. The incident has sparked debate over the city’s rules regarding public comments.

The woman in question is one Rebecca Massy, a Surprise resident, who criticized the city attorney's salary at the meeting (according to the Surprise government website, the city attorney was paid $274,294.98). Massy took to the podium to express her concerns, but was interrupted by Mayor Skip Hall who cited a city rule that prohibits using oral communications at council meetings to lodge charges or complaints against city employees. Unperturbed by Hall's comments, Massy continued to speak, leading to a tense exchange between her and the mayor.

“Do you want to be escorted out of here?” Mayor Hall asked Massy, as the situation escalated.

“You are violating my First Amendment rights,” Massy responded, refusing to leave the podium voluntarily.

Massy was eventually forcible removed from the meeting by a police officer and cited for trespassing. Video footage of the incident shows Massy repeatedly telling the officer not to touch her as she was escorted out.

Legal experts immediately chimed in on whether the government had the right to impose restrictions on speech, such as limiting the time people can talk, with some even stating that the city’s rule against criticizing employees may breach legal boundaries.

“The issue here is they are restricting her speech,” one legal commentator told Arizona's Family's 'New at 5'. “We are allowed to criticize our government, including high-ranking employees like the city attorney.”

Massy is being represented by the Foundation for Individual Rights in the matter.