Residents, civil rights board members press commission after mayor declines recommended appointment

Dozens of residents and members of community groups urged the Kalamazoo City Commission on Monday to fill vacancies on the city’s Civil Rights Board and to respect the board’s appointment recommendations after Mayor David F. Anderson declined to advance the board’s choice for a seat.

Speakers said the denial has reduced the board’s effectiveness and undermined public trust in a body intended to enforce the housing equity ordinance adopted in 2020.

The issue matters because the Civil Rights Board (CRB) is tasked with investigating housing and discrimination complaints that affect low‑income and protected populations, and board members and community organizers said vacancies and the mayor’s handling of an appointment have left the board unable to carry out that work.

Kathy Fason, chair of the Civil Rights Board, told the commission the board voted unanimously to recommend attorney Louis Smith and…