Public hearing vs public comment
Definition
A public hearing is a legally required session on one specific action, like a zoning change or budget adoption, where comments must relate to that item. Public comment is a broader, recurring period at regular meetings where residents can raise any topic within the government's authority.
Why it matters
Confusing the two wastes a resident's turn at the microphone. Showing up to general public comment to fight a specific rezoning may have no bearing on the separate, legally noticed hearing where the actual vote happens. Knowing which forum applies to which decision is often the difference between being heard and being procedurally irrelevant.
Seen in the wild
State laws such as North Carolina's require public hearings before zoning ordinance changes, with a distinct notice and comment process, while separately requiring regular public comment periods at council and school board meetings, a structural split documented across most states' open-meetings and planning statutes.1