LEWISTON — As the City Council begins budget talks for next year, some councilors are eyeing the elimination of the director of diversity, equity and inclusion position at City Hall.
The proposal, made by Councilor Rick LaChapelle and supported by others, would eliminate the director and use grant funds to pay for a similar position within the school department.
Councilors also argued that since Ayesha Hall, the school department’s social emotional learning and equity resource coordinator, is leaving the district, it is an opportune time to consider consolidating to save money.
Melissa Hue, Lewiston’s director of diversity, equity and inclusion. Submitted photo
However, when the proposal was made Thursday, several councilors pushed back on the idea, pointing out the progress that has been made in supporting diversity, equity and inclusion work given the city’s demographics, and that Hall’s position is a dual role.
Melissa Hue, the city’s director of diversity, equity and inclusion, was hired in August 2021 after the position was one of the main recommendations from former Mayor Mark Cayer’s ad hoc Equity and Diversity Committee in 2020.
Last year, the city received an $80,000 grant from the Sewall Foundation to pay for the position, meaning the cut would only save a few thousand dollars in the municipal budget, staff said.
“I just question whether there’s a need for two of those positions in the city,” LaChapelle said. “Eliminate one, transfer the $80,000 to the schools, then we share that position.”
Councilor Bob McCarthy agreed, saying because Hall’s position is already open, it wouldn’t “affect anyone’s livelihood.” He said having only one position would be “the same topic, just spread out more.”
Other councilors said they wouldn’t support cutting the position due to its importance, but also because it would be the council proposing programmatic and/or specific budget changes within the school district.
“When I think about the makeup of our community, and the work that’s been done in our schools and our city, this is a high priority for our community,” Councilor Stephanie Gelinas said. “We’ve done a tremendous amount of work in the area of (diversity, equity and inclusion).”
Several others said Hall’s work on social emotional learning also makes the two positions “completely different.”
“I don’t see how one person could do both of those jobs,” Councilor Scott Harriman said.
Superintendent Jake Langlais is scheduled to present the proposed school budget to the council next week. City Administrator Heather Hunter said Langlais will compare the job descriptions of both positions during the meeting.
When it was pointed out that the cut would only save roughly $3,000 from the budget, those in favor of the cut said it would allow cutting some $85,000 from the school budget.
However, Councilor Linda Scott, who also serves as the council’s representative to the School Committee, said the council could only suggest cutting that figure from the bottom line, but if the district decides they want to fund the social emotional learning director, “they can, whether you cut $80,000 or not.”
“The bottom line is it comes from the same pair of pants,” LaChapelle said. “We have the entire city to look at. I’m tired of this territorial stuff with the School Committee.”
The council in its current term has taken a lukewarm approach to diversity, equity and inclusion initiatives.
This past fall, the council put off talks on a proposed diversity, equity and inclusion policy after killing an earlier version of the policy in June. At the time, Hue said the policy was meant as a proactive measure to establish a code of conduct and set expectations for how employees will be treated and how they treat others.
Councilors Lee Clement and Lachapelle questioned staff about why the policy had returned for consideration after being effectively killed in June, but city administration said the policy had been amended significantly.
During the initial discussion in June, Hue said the city has been able to mitigate several potential lawsuits related to bias, harassment or discrimination, but there were still instances of employees using racial slurs.
Lachapelle and Clement were behind a controversial draft resolution last year that condemned optional affinity groups in Lewiston schools, including one for Black, Indigenous and People of Color educators. The updated policy presented by Hue in October had removed mention of such affinity groups.
When the Sewall Foundation funding for the diversity, equity and inclusion position was approved, some councilors voted against it.
On Friday, Mayor Carl Sheline said, “While I understand the need to reduce expenses, I am concerned that this is a thinly veiled attempt to water down or simply eliminate the (diversity, equity and inclusion) position. Based on the council’s unwillingness to update the (diversity, equity and inclusion) policy and the lack of unanimous support to accept grant money that would nearly cover the cost of the (diversity, equity and inclusion) position, one could argue that there is resistance to (diversity, equity and inclusion) work in Lewiston, if not outright hostility.”
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