Petitioners Amy Drake and Andy Rutten presented a proposed revision to the county tax abatement ordinance that would remove language requiring affirmative action, minority hiring goals and associated documentation from abatement applications.

The petitioners framed the change as an effort to remove what they described as preferential or discriminatory hiring requirements from the county's abatement code. "When we encourage minorities over, I guess, majority populations, that's reverse discrimination also," Rutten said during the committee hearing.

Multiple council members and attendees pushed back at length. Councilmember Mark Schutzel and others urged caution about striking explicit language that references historically disadvantaged groups and recommended instead replacing the current text with references to federal civil-rights statutes and Equal Employment Opportunity compliance. Schutzel suggested substituting a definition referencing Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964 and the Equal Employment Opportunity Act of 1972 rather than removing protections.

Area Planning staff and legal counsel noted procedural issues: the county code requires replacement text and proper numbering rather than a simple strikethrough, and the committee asked petitioners to coordinate edits with staff. Several committee members urged a collaborative rewrite with IPG and legal counsel; petitioners said they were willing to work but asked the committee not to delay the measure.

After extended debate, the committee voted 3–1 to send Bill 52-25 forward to the full council with no recommendation. Members said they wanted more time for substantive revisions and for staff to draft replacement language that would align with state and federal civil-rights law or other alternatives before a final vote.

The full council will receive the measure and can choose to schedule public hearings and amendments consistent with procedure; staff cautioned that any substantive amendment at final vote may require returning the measure to the Area Plan Commission for review.