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Mayor pauses hiring for DEI manager amid federal executive-order concerns; council and residents debate next steps
Summary
Mayor Wheeler told the council he paused the final hiring step for a Diversity, Equity and Inclusion manager after recent federal executive orders and briefed the finance committee; the announcement prompted extensive public comment for and against DEI and questions about federal grant compliance and local authority under the city charter.
Mayor Wheeler told the Bremerton City Council on Feb. 19 that he had paused the final hiring step for the city’s Diversity, Equity and Inclusion (DEI) manager after recent federal executive orders that raised questions about compliance and the city’s receipt of federal grants.
Wheeler said staff had advanced about three finalists to the final interview stage and that, as the approving authority, he decided to pause hiring because of “threats to the federal funding the city receives.” He said staff and council leaders, including the council president and the finance committee chair, were briefed and that the pause also responded to an anticipated review of grant certifications expected in March.
Wheeler referenced the city charter’s allocation of powers and noted that the council retains authority to adopt ordinances directing city action, including personnel decisions, subject to the mayor’s veto and potential council override under the charter.
The mayor’s announcement drew a long public comment period during which residents and community members expressed sharply divided views. Supporters of DEI urged the council to preserve the city’s commitments to marginalized groups and to keep DEI work going despite federal action. Amy Waterman, a Bremerton resident, said the council’s reaffirmation of “commitment to the fundamental rights for all residents” should be followed by action. Jo Walter thanked council members for a “letter reaffirming” the city’s commitments and urged sustained action.
Opponents argued that federal actions threaten roughly $19,000,000 in capital funding and said continuing DEI programs could risk those dollars or open the city to legal challenges. Roy Runyon, a Bremerton resident, urged the council to “dismantle the city of Bremerton’s DEI program, defund the DEI manager position, [and] direct the savings into street maintenance,” and said the city had already spent about $50,000 on consultant work and training. A different resident estimated the DEI manager position would cost between $120,000 and $150,000 per year; that figure was presented by a public commenter and was not verified by the administration at the meeting.
Several commenters asked the mayor and council to find ways to preserve equity work while complying with federal requirements. Chris Thatcher, a lifelong Kitsap County resident, urged leadership to “find a way to still keep diversity, equity, and inclusion policies within the city, and do so in a way ... that allows us to still keep federal money.”
City Attorney Finnell and staff answered procedural questions during the public-comment period about meeting decorum; no council motion, ordinance or vote on the DEI pause was made at the Feb. 19 meeting.
Wheeler described the pause as an executive decision linked to concerns about federal grant certification. He said the pause and the broader question of how the city proceeds can be addressed by the council through its ordinance powers if it so chooses. No council action was recorded at the meeting to reverse or affirm the pause.
