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Resident criticizes mayor’s August 5 remark about Branch Vision and warns against silencing civic groups
Summary
A resident asked council to reject comments she described as an attempt to silence Branch Vision, a local nonprofit civic engagement group, quoting the mayor’s Aug. 5 remark and reading portions of Branch Vision’s mission statement.
Barbara Courier told the City Council during public comment on Aug. 19 that she was alarmed by remarks the mayor made at a prior Aug. 5 study session about petitioners for the charter review committee. Courier quoted the mayor: “the thing that concerns me here is that several people, not a majority, but several are members of 1 political pack, and I don't want the leanings of that pack to necessarily be influencing the work of this committee.”
Courier said the characterization appeared aimed at Branch Vision, which she described as a nonpartisan nonprofit with members across political affiliations. She read from Branch Vision’s mission and said the group seeks to “increase voter turnout by promoting candidates who share values beneficial to all residents” and to engage residents in transparent, inclusive civic participation. “The thought that our mayor … would want to silence the voices of some of those residents … is chilling,” Courier said.
The comment was delivered during the public-comment portion of the study session; no council action was taken in response during the meeting.
