Can I join my local government's citizen advisory committee as a permanent resident?

[eckoin 211]

The local government doesn't discriminate on (or well, check) immigration status--only on the residence address to ensure you live in the community--but could joining the local council work against me when I apply for citizenship?  Has anyone had any experience in this?  

 

This is the citizen advisory committee, which is essentially people who live in the area leading and discussing proposed changes with anyone else who lives here and wants to chime in.  I would be interested in joining the council in a more official capacity in the future, but don't want this to become sort of issue.  I ask because local initiatives end up on state election ballots, and I certainly cannot legally vote for a whole lot of stuff there, and I am of course not registered to vote so I don't even get those.  

 

Should I stay away until I become naturalized, or is this relatively safe? 

[davidvs 332]

I may be overly paranoid about it, but I would stay away from anything with the word "citizen" in it until your naturalization... why risk issues down the road.

 

 

[eckoin 211]

50 minutes ago, davidvs said:

I may be overly paranoid about it, but I would stay away from anything with the word "citizen" in it until your naturalization... why risk issues down the road.

 

 

Yeah you're probably right.  I found the council eligibility, which refers to the state eligibility, which refers to the constitutional eligibility, and ends with US citizens who are eligible to vote.  The committees aren't council, but if there's even a chance this bites me, it's not worth it.  May just look into other ways to get involved

[JonSeattle 202]

I was on a committee that sounds like that and found it very worthwhile. You could contact the chairperson and others to see how they would feel about you becoming involved without being a voting member. For the committee I was on, we sat in the front of the hall for Town Meeting, and there was a separate section where non-voters would sit so they wouldn't get counted in town votes.  But if you have proof that non-citizens are allowed to vote in your locality, then it seems to me that there would be no problem.