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Talbot County Council declines to repeal 2020 administrative DEI resolutions after hours of debate
Summary
After more than an hour of public comments and extended council debate, the Talbot County Council voted against repealing two 2020 administrative resolutions on diversity, equity and inclusion (DEI). The measure failed on a recorded roll call.
The Talbot County Council voted Tuesday to keep two 2020 administrative resolutions on diversity, equity and inclusion in place after extended public comment and council debate. The measure to repeal the June 23, 2020 and July 14, 2020 administrative resolutions failed on a roll-call vote.
The repeal proposal would have struck the county’s DEI statement from the employee handbook and removed a requirement for an annual report on diversity training. Supporters of repeal tied the change to a January 20, 2025 presidential executive order and argued rescinding the resolutions protects local control and federal funding; opponents said existing federal and state civil-rights laws already protect county residents and employees and warned repeal would send a negative message to county staff.
Council member Stepp, who led the push to remove the resolutions, said he had heard from county employees and residents and framed the vote as restoring clarity about which laws protect civil rights. “First, this is not a matter that extends beyond Talbot County employment,” Stepp said, adding that he wanted the council to “reaffirm their support of the current laws” such as the Fourteenth Amendment, the Civil Rights Act of 1964 and the Americans with Disabilities Act.
Council members who opposed repeal said those laws already provide civil-rights protections and that the administrative statements caused no harm. “I recognize there are biases in a lot of us that we don't even recognize,” said Council member Lesher, arguing that training can help staff and council identify unconscious bias. Another council member said staff had been stressed by debate over the topic and urged respect for differing views.
Public comment before and after the council’s discussion drew dozens of residents on both sides of the issue. Speakers who urged repeal called DEI policies divisive and expressed concern about potential impacts on grant funding; other speakers, including local nonprofit and business representatives, described DEI as a tool to address barriers facing people with disabilities and other historically disadvantaged groups.
When the council recorded its vote, the roll call showed two members voting to repeal and three opposed (Callahan and Stepp voting in favor; Lesher, Milke and Hayes voting against). The council did not adopt the repeal. The DEI-related language remains in the county employee handbook, and the requirement for an annual report on county diversity-training initiatives also remains in effect.
The council did not announce additional steps on the issue. Members said they appreciated the public engagement and would move on to other business on the agenda.
