Understanding the Consent Agenda in Local Government Meetings

Local governing bodies—such as city councils, school boards, and county commissions—often face lengthy agendas filled with routine items that require formal approval but need little to no discussion. To streamline meetings and focus on substantive issues, many governing bodies adopt a consent agenda.

What Is the Consent Agenda?

The consent agenda (also known as a consent calendar) was originally introduced in Robert’s Rules of Order, one of the most commonly used guidelines for meetings.

It is a grouping of routine, non-controversial items that can be voted on collectively during the regular meeting of a governing body. Generally, no debate is allowed on items in the consent agenda, but a member of the governing body can always request that a specific item be moved to the full meeting agenda for individual attention (see, for example, a recent Seattle city council agenda).

Use of a consent agenda can reduce repetitive tasks, shorten meeting length, and free up more time for the governing body to focus on consequential policy or strategic issues.

What Typically Appears on a Consent Agenda?

Items placed on a consent agenda are generally administrative or procedural. Common examples include:

• Approval of previous meeting minutes
• Routine contracts or renewals
• Budget amendments or transfers
• Standard reports (e.g., financial, departmental)
• Approval of licenses or permits
• Approval of payroll/vouchers
• Routine personnel actions (e.g., hiring, promotions)
• Appointments for committees

Consent agendas can also include non-routine items, such as final approval of a proposal or report that the body has been dealing with for some time and all members are familiar with, or correspondence requiring no action.

Using a Consent Agenda

A governing body may choose to adopt the use of a consent agenda in its rules of procedure. Such rules may include a policy about what may and may not be included on the consent agenda (for example, see rules from Puyallup, Pierce County, or the Port of Port Townsend) or the governing body may leave that decision to the discretion of the person(s) preparing the meeting agenda.

There are several steps before, during, and after the meeting a governing body must follow to properly use a consent agenda, record official actions, and maintain transparency.

Before the meeting

The person (or people) who normally prepares the regular meeting agenda (i.e., clerk, administrator, chair) determines which items to include in the consent portion of a meeting and creates a numbered list—which is then incorporated into the broader meeting agenda. The list of consent items and related documents and all other meeting material is distributed to governing body members well ahead of the meeting.

During the meeting

During the meeting, the chair should review items listed in the consent agenda and ask the members if they want to remove an item. Members may request that an item be removed from the consent agenda for any reason. They may wish, for example, to discuss the item as part of the regular meeting agenda, to query the item, or to register a vote against the item (Note: A formal vote would not be necessary to remove an item unless the agency’s rules require one).

Once any requested items have been removed from the consent agenda, the governing body votes to approve the remaining items as a single vote. The body can then decide whether to take up the removed item immediately or place it later on the meeting agenda.

After the meeting

The meeting minutes should state that the consent agenda was approved unanimously and list any consent items that may have been removed and addressed separately. All supporting materials should be attached to the agenda to demonstrate the information on which the governing body bases its decisions.

Best Practices for Using a Consent Agenda

To ensure the consent agenda is used effectively, consider the following best practices:

• Strive for transparency: Publish the consent agenda well in advance (minimum of one week) with supporting documentation.
• Encourage preparedness: Encourage members of the governing body to thoroughly review the consent agenda before the meeting. Some agencies also provide a mechanism for members to ask questions about items or flag concerns ahead of a meeting (such as discussing potential consent items during a workshop-style open meeting).
• Allow for flexibility in item removal: Allow any member to remove an item without needing a second or requiring a vote of the body. Respect requests for discussion to maintain trust and openness.
• Establish a policy for determining consent agenda items: Create specific criteria for items that do not need detailed discussion to ensure the governing body is consistent in choosing what to place on the consent agenda.
• Refine policies as needed: If members of the governing body frequently remove items placed on the consent agenda, this may indicate the need to review criteria for determining a consent item. Reviewing past meeting minutes can also help the body track performance of the consent agenda. 

Common Mistakes

Below are some common mistakes governing bodies make when using consent agendas:

• Members fail to review the consent agenda in advance of meeting. Approving the consent agenda without adequate review can lead to the approval of items that may require more scrutiny.
• Item descriptions are too vague. There should be enough details about each consent item to help governing body members determine whether the items are truly non-controversial in nature.
• There are too many items listed. Covering too many items in a consent agenda complicates the meeting process and makes it hard for members to spot topics that may require individualized consideration.
• Details of the consent agenda are left out of meeting minutes. Failing to record routine consent items in detail may be detrimental to the agency’s efforts to be fully transparent and complicate future efforts to prove specific consent items were approved.

Note that certain matters should always be excluded due to their importance and/or need for detailed discussion, such as audit reports, significant financial reports (e.g., the annual budget), and major strategic or policy decisions. For instance, if the governing body fails to review financial items adequately, it may snowball into unsound fiscal decisions.

Conclusion and Resources

The consent agenda is a powerful tool for improving meeting efficiency. When used thoughtfully, it allows governing bodies to focus on substantive issues while maintaining transparency and accountability. By following best practices, local governments can ensure that routine matters are handled swiftly without compromising public trust or oversight.

For information on meetings, agendas, and notes, see these resources from MRSC:

• Council Meeting Agendas
• Council/Board of Commissioners Rules of Procedure
• Less Is More: Action Minutes Save Time, Serve the Agency Best
• Setting the Agenda: Less Control, More Cooperation