Get Full Government Meeting Transcripts, Videos, & Alerts Forever!
Get email alerts on the Inclusivity Proclamation topic
No spam. Unsubscribe anytime.
Philomath council adopts updated inclusivity proclamation after committee trims religious wording
Summary
Council adopted Resolution 25-16 endorsing an inclusivity proclamation that affirms residents’ "inherent dignity and equal and inalienable rights," after the Inclusivity Committee removed language explicitly attributing rights to a deity.
Philomath’s City Council unanimously approved Resolution 25-16 on July 14, adopting an inclusivity proclamation that recognizes the "inherent dignity and equal and inalienable rights of all people." The council discussed edits proposed at an earlier Inclusivity Committee meeting and chose wording intended to be neutral about religious belief.
Mayor (meeting moderator) recapped that Councilor Casement had recommended adding language referencing that "all people being created in the image of God," but committee members worried that explicit religious attribution could conflict with separation of church and state. The revised language the council approved states that "Philomath strives to be a city based on mutual respect and understanding, a community that welcomes and values all residents and respects the inherent dignity and equal and inalienable rights of all people."
Council members who spoke in favor characterized the proclamation as a moral statement grounded in inalienable-rights language. Councilor Andrade moved adoption and Councilor Nielsen seconded; the council voted to adopt the resolution as presented. The proclamation will be reviewed according to the schedule specified in the document.
The council did not attach regulatory force to the proclamation; it is an expression of values. Questions raised at the meeting focused on the precise wording and on avoiding endorsement of religious doctrine by the city.
