SACRAMENTO, Calif. — While reviewing resolutions focused on racial equity and reparations, Councilwoman Mai Vang called out the city manager’s office for making “major changes” ahead of a vote Tuesday afternoon.

One of the resolutions, which is a part of the Mayoral Reparations Initiative, seeks to continue efforts on reparations by making it a city-wide initiative. The other, which was first voted on Oct. 29, would acknowledge Sacramento’s history of systemic racism and racial inequities. The resolutions will be voted on Dec. 3, after Vang and members of the Racial Equity Committee said the latter resolution was changed without approval.

Vang said major aspects of the racial equity resolution drafted by the Racial Equity Committee were not present in the version brought forward Tuesday afternoon by City Manager Howard Chan’s office.

The draft eliminated an annual assessment report of the city’s diversity and equity department, a request for a future ordinance focused on diversity and a change in language about ensuring an equity lens in city-awarded contracts, Vang said.

The remaining pieces of the resolution included racial equity assessment tools on analyzing budgets, policies, planning documents and procedures, and encouraging racial equity training to grantees, vendors and contractors.

Vang, who serves as the co-chair of the Racial Equity Committee, proposed the resolution be moved to a Dec. 3 meeting at 5 p.m., where there can be a “robust community conversation.”

“These are major changes that do not reflect the community or even me as the co-chair of the Racial Equity Committee,” Vang said.

Mayor Darrell Steinberg led the vote to delay approval of the resolution. While he said the decision to change the resolution should be taken to the City Council “unfiltered,” he defended the city manager’s right to make a recommendation.

“When a committee of the City Council makes a decision and recommendation, that decision or recommendation needs to be taken to the City Council unfiltered period,” Steinberg said. “However, the city manager maintains every right under the charter to make a recommendation that is different from what the committee does, both at the committee and before the entire city council.”

Community support for racial equity resolution

Ryan McClinton, a member of the Racial Equity Alliance, said the hearing of the resolution needs to be accessible to everyone. He recommended moving the process back to a Zoom conference option, so people who cannot physically be at City Hall can have an input.

“Every one of you are elected by diverse populations that look just like this board right here, but not everybody’s voice was in that election or the process that leads our governance,” McClinton said. “This is our opportunity to get that right.”

Some members of the Racial Equity Alliance critiqued the City Council’s transparent practices. Keyan Bliss, chair of the city’s Community Police Review Commission, said he “continues to be amazed at the lack of transparency and integrity,” calling out Chan directly.

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