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Council deadlocks on Human Relations Committee repeal; refers item back to subcommittee
Summary
After prolonged debate and multiple procedural motions, the council failed to schedule a public hearing to repeal the Human Relations Committee ordinance; by a 4-2 vote the council instead sent the item back to the Government Operations & Ordinances Subcommittee for further review.
The council held a lengthy debate over whether to schedule a public hearing on repealing Ordinance 5-20, 5-32, 5-33, Section 5-32 (the ordinance that establishes the Human Relations Committee). The Government Operations & Ordinances Subcommittee had moved to recommend repeal at its Jan. 28 meeting, but several councilors opposed outright repeal and urged amending the committee’s size and appointment process instead.
Multiple procedural motions were made. A motion to postpone indefinitely and send the item back to committee failed after a tie and a tie-breaker by Mayor Bordes (Mayor voted No; motion failed 3-4). A subsequent motion to table and send back to committee also failed on a tie broken by the mayor (3-4). A motion to schedule a public hearing on March 9, 2026 failed on a 4-2 vote. The council then voted 4-2 to send the agenda item back to the Government Operations & Ordinances Subcommittee for further work. Councilors Soucy and Bogert voiced concern that repealing the committee outright would 'kill' it and preferred revising membership and appointment procedures.
