BURLINGTON — Chapin Spencer is the right guy for the job, but not necessarily for Burlington’s pledge to diversity.
Progressive council members are questioning Mayor Miro Weinberger’s commitment to diversity after his recent appointment of Spencer as Public Works director, claiming the selection process did not actively seek minority candidates.
Progressives are troubled because the mayor did not conduct a full, nationwide search to fill the position, denying other qualified candidates of diverse backgrounds from seeking to fill the spot.
Tuesday, the Progressive Caucus of the Burlington City Council released a statement in conjunction with Diversity Now, an organization that helps job seekers from diverse backgrounds, to criticize the mayor’s selection process.
“We agree with your point of view that without a lens of diversity and equity, and without a full search, the Mayor does a disservice to both the appointee and the City as a whole,” the news release from the caucus stated.
Progressive are not asking the mayor to reconsider his appointment. In fact, both Jane Knodell, P-Ward 2, and Max Tracy, P-Ward 2, voted to elect Spencer, but hopes that the city will acknowledge the need for diversity in future hiring decisions.
Vince Brennan, P-Ward 3, and Rachel Siegel, P-Ward 3, voted against the appointment at Monday’s council meeting. They said Spencer, executive director of Local Motion, is well-qualified, but the selection process should have been expanded to include a more diverse pool of candidates.
Local Motion is a nonprofit advocacy group that supports “people-powered” transportation.
Weinberger addressed the council members’ concerns by citing his track record supporting diversity, such as the selection of Rubi Simon as director of the Fletcher Free Library and Eileen Blackwood as the first female city attorney.
“I think it’s a record that needs to go further,” Weinberger said during the meeting. “But it’s a record.”
The council confirmed Spencer’s appointment by a vote of 12-2 at its last meeting.
