Valparaiso mayor vetoes changes to advisory human relations council
The veto action from Costas came Thursday.
The city council meets at 6 p.m. Monday, providing the opportunity for further discussion and debate if the council decides to address the matter. The ordinance is not on the meeting agenda, which was released late Thursday.
If another vote is called on the advisory council, a minimum favorable vote of 5-2 can override the mayor's veto.
At the last council meeting on July 28, the ordinance, which was crafted and introduced by Valparaiso City Council President Ellen Kapitan and fellow at-large member Emilie Hunt, found further support from Barbara Domer, D-3rd, and Robert Cotton, D-2nd, along with a noticeably hesitant vote by Diana Reed, D-1st.
Peter Anderson, R-5th, and Jack Pupillo, R-4th, voted against the ordinance.
'I informed the council by email Thursday about my decision to veto this ordinance,' Costas said Friday morning.
He said he decided not to sign the ordinance as it passed because he believes the current make-up and function of the advisory council is 'very effective' for advising him in his role as the city's executive.
'I've continued to urge the council to create their own Human Relations Council or a similar committee by selecting their own member to serve on that body rather than absorbing my existing appointed member and adding to that number. As I've said publicly, I don't wish for there to be mayor appointments to this council's created advisory group. I haven't seen the collaboration I'd hope for this, and as a result, I felt that vetoing this (ordinance) was warranted.'
Heated discussion and public tug-of-war between Costas and city council members about the purpose, mission and a future vision and altered definition of the Advisory Human Relations Council have continued consistently during the past six months.
At the March 10 council meeting, Alison Quackenbush, a middle school civics teacher who serves as the chair of the existing Advisory Human Relations Council as appointed by Costas, was questioned pointedly by Hunt and Kapitan about the lack of programming and events hosted by the advisory council, including in February for Black History Month.
In addition to Quackenbush, other members of the advisory council are Elisabeth Cohon, Debi Sibray, Mark Fesenmyer, Patrick Lyp, Carolyn Rodea, David Muniz, Mike Hendren and Jack Tipold, in addition to non-voting members Katie Shideler, Olivia Krutz and Valparaiso Police Chief Andrew McIntyre.
While Costas has said he created the idea for an advisory council 'more than a dozen years ago,' Cotton has publicly corrected him, maintaining 'it was the Valparaiso City Council who created this council, not the mayor.'
Costas said in June that he formed the advisory council to ensure the city's mayor receives 'a broad range of independent advice and perspective on matters related to the city's growing minority populations.'
He disagreed with reconstituting the advisory council so it was appointed by the city council, with the goal of organizing, promoting and funding cultural events in the city, because the advisory council has been effective as it is for more than 14 years.
Costas also said at the time that he was concerned 'that city resources and tax funds should not be used to promote cultural/social events organized by groups or private citizens.'
The city's residents, he said, celebrate different cultures, beliefs and lifestyles.
'I believe that my job as mayor is not to elevate one over the other, but rather to ensure that all citizens feel respected, protected and free to express their own cultural views and beliefs as they see fit.'
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Chicago Tribune
4 days ago
- Chicago Tribune
Valparaiso council overrides mayor's veto of reimagined Advisory Human Relations Council
As Valparaiso Mayor Jon Costas predicted, the city council responded to his veto of a revised Advisory Human Relations Council with a 5-2 override vote Monday. 'I think we know how this vote is going to go, so let's call the vote,' Costas said Monday after council member Robert Cotton, D-2nd, motioned for a vote to negate the mayor's veto. Another vote and further debate of the ordinance were not included on the council agenda released late Thursday, which prompted council member Ellen Kapitan, D-At-large, to rebuke Costas for waiting until after the agenda was created before notifying the council of his veto. As with the last council meeting on July 28, the ordinance, which was crafted and introduced by Kapitan and at-large member Emilie Hunt, drew the same supportive votes from Cotton, Barbara Domer, D-3rd, and Diana Reed, D-1st. Peter Anderson, R-5th, and Jack Pupillo, R-4th, once again voted against having the mayor's veto dissolved. Kapitan asked that Costas repeat for the public the reasoning behind his veto, as communicated in his email Thursday. 'I decided not to sign Ordinance No. 8 as passed at last month's council meeting because, as I've been clear all along this process, I believe that the current make-up and function of the AHRC as it is now is very effective to advise me in my role as the city's executive,' Costas explained. 'I've continued to urge the council to create their own Human Relations Council or a similar committee by selecting their own member to serve on that body rather than absorbing my existing appointed member and adding to that number. As I've said publicly, I don't wish for there to be mayor appointments to this council's created advisory group. I haven't seen the collaboration I'd hope for this, and as a result, I felt that vetoing this [ordinance] was warranted.' Of the 10 residents who addressed the mayor and council before the override, the divided sides were split evenly with five residents in favor of the council-created combined committee and five voices favoring the mayor retaining his existing advisory group. 'I fully support the mayor's veto of this ordinance,' James Ferguson said when addressing the mayor and council members. 'After last meeting's discussion about this ordinance, I decided to attend the Advisory Human Relations Council meeting on July 22, and I kind of expected some of the city council members to be there. Instead, there were the Advisory Human Relations Council members all there wondering what's going on.' Alison Quackenbush, a middle school civics teacher who serves as the chair of the existing Advisory Human Relations Council as appointed by Costas, said Tuesday she, like most of the members of the mayor's appointed council, 'are still processing what is happening' and 'are unsure of what comes next.' Hunt and Kapitan have publicly expressed their displeasure with 'a lack of programming and events' organized by the existing advisory council and insist it is part of that group's 'mission.' Quackenbush has publicly responded that she and the other members are volunteers assisting as appointments by the mayor and have never been directed to oversee and promote specific events and programming. In addition to Quackenbush, other appointed voting members of the existing council are Elisabeth Cohon, Debi Sibray, Mark Fesenmyer, Patrick Lyp, Carolyn Rodea, David Muniz, Mike Hendren and Jack Tipold, in addition to non-voting members Katie Shideler, Olivia Krutz and Valparaiso Police Chief Andrew McIntyre. 'Just because I was appointed a member of this group for the mayor doesn't mean I will want to serve on a newly formed council, depending on what the direction and mission is for the group,' Tipold said at the July 22 Advisory Human Relations Committee. Other members echoed Tipold's sentiment while Costas told those assembled he 'wasn't in a place to provide any advisement or further information' because he wasn't clear on what the council's purpose was for their re-imagined group. In March, a news release announced the city of Valparaiso's Human Relations Council's 'invitation to the community' to apply for its new Community Cultural Educational grants. 'We are looking to support events or efforts that further the mission of the HRC, which is to increase awareness, appreciation and dialogue among diverse and traditionally underrepresented groups, such as race, religion, national origin, age, gender/gender identity, sexual orientation, veteran status and individuals with disabilities,' Quackenbush said in the distributed press release. 'This grant is designed to spark ideas and support efforts that advance inclusion and education, whether that's in programming, events or other outreach.' She said then the $10,000 grant pool was funded by the Valparaiso Mayor's Office and was to be disbursed in the form of matching grants ranging from $500 to $2,000 per project. The plan is for grants to be awarded twice annually. Applications for the first cycle were due April 30. Quackenbush said they had three organizations apply for grants: the Valparaiso Creative Council, LGBTQ Outreach of Porter County, and Hilltop Neighborhood House. However, though each was approved by her council and recommended for funding, ultimately, all three were rejected when presented to the mayor's office. 'We were able to find two out of the three funding for their projects through other funding means,' Quackenbush said.
Chicago Tribune
09-08-2025
- Chicago Tribune
Valparaiso mayor vetoes changes to advisory human relations council
Valparaiso Mayor Jon Costas vetoed the city council's 5-2 vote in favor of a revamped Advisory Human Relations Council, redesigned to serve both the needs of the mayor and the city council. The veto action from Costas came Thursday. The city council meets at 6 p.m. Monday, providing the opportunity for further discussion and debate if the council decides to address the matter. The ordinance is not on the meeting agenda, which was released late Thursday. If another vote is called on the advisory council, a minimum favorable vote of 5-2 can override the mayor's veto. At the last council meeting on July 28, the ordinance, which was crafted and introduced by Valparaiso City Council President Ellen Kapitan and fellow at-large member Emilie Hunt, found further support from Barbara Domer, D-3rd, and Robert Cotton, D-2nd, along with a noticeably hesitant vote by Diana Reed, D-1st. Peter Anderson, R-5th, and Jack Pupillo, R-4th, voted against the ordinance. 'I informed the council by email Thursday about my decision to veto this ordinance,' Costas said Friday morning. He said he decided not to sign the ordinance as it passed because he believes the current make-up and function of the advisory council is 'very effective' for advising him in his role as the city's executive. 'I've continued to urge the council to create their own Human Relations Council or a similar committee by selecting their own member to serve on that body rather than absorbing my existing appointed member and adding to that number. As I've said publicly, I don't wish for there to be mayor appointments to this council's created advisory group. I haven't seen the collaboration I'd hope for this, and as a result, I felt that vetoing this (ordinance) was warranted.' Heated discussion and public tug-of-war between Costas and city council members about the purpose, mission and a future vision and altered definition of the Advisory Human Relations Council have continued consistently during the past six months. At the March 10 council meeting, Alison Quackenbush, a middle school civics teacher who serves as the chair of the existing Advisory Human Relations Council as appointed by Costas, was questioned pointedly by Hunt and Kapitan about the lack of programming and events hosted by the advisory council, including in February for Black History Month. In addition to Quackenbush, other members of the advisory council are Elisabeth Cohon, Debi Sibray, Mark Fesenmyer, Patrick Lyp, Carolyn Rodea, David Muniz, Mike Hendren and Jack Tipold, in addition to non-voting members Katie Shideler, Olivia Krutz and Valparaiso Police Chief Andrew McIntyre. While Costas has said he created the idea for an advisory council 'more than a dozen years ago,' Cotton has publicly corrected him, maintaining 'it was the Valparaiso City Council who created this council, not the mayor.' Costas said in June that he formed the advisory council to ensure the city's mayor receives 'a broad range of independent advice and perspective on matters related to the city's growing minority populations.' He disagreed with reconstituting the advisory council so it was appointed by the city council, with the goal of organizing, promoting and funding cultural events in the city, because the advisory council has been effective as it is for more than 14 years. Costas also said at the time that he was concerned 'that city resources and tax funds should not be used to promote cultural/social events organized by groups or private citizens.' The city's residents, he said, celebrate different cultures, beliefs and lifestyles. 'I believe that my job as mayor is not to elevate one over the other, but rather to ensure that all citizens feel respected, protected and free to express their own cultural views and beliefs as they see fit.'
Chicago Tribune
07-08-2025
- Chicago Tribune
Valparaiso City Council member Barb Dormer to push redistricting ordinance
Valparaiso City Council member Barbara Domer will introduce an ordinance to create a bipartisan Citizens Redistricting Advisory Commission to draft legislative district maps. If approved, Domer said Valparaiso will join two other Indiana cities, Bloomington and Goshen, that have engaged their city councils with redistricting using the help of a bipartisan team of voters. 'After holding a public meeting in May to receive citizen input and gauge public support, I am excited to announce plans to move forward with introducing an ordinance to create a bipartisan citizen redistricting advisory commission for Valparaiso,' Domer, D-3, said earlier this month. 'My decision to run for City Council was spurred, in part, by my involvement with this city council's redistricting process in 2022, and I firmly believe this is a process that can, and should, be directed by voters, not politicians. I look forward to working with Mayor Costas, my fellow council members, organizations representing voters, and all others who support a voter-centric reform to create the building blocks of our council elections here in Valparaiso.' Domer said her insistence and efforts so far 'have been praised' by Julia Vaughn, executive director of Common Cause Indiana, who helped redistricting activists in Valparaiso create a public mapping process during the 2022 round of redistricting. 'I first met Councilwoman Domer in 2021 during the state and Congressional redistricting process when she was one of the hundreds of local leaders we worked with as part of our Indiana Citizens Redistricting Commission demonstration project,' Vaughn said. 'She helped organize and promote a local redistricting mapping project for Valpo council districts in 2022, which resulted in seven maps drawn by citizens, more public input than any other city in the state. It's so exciting that she used that experience as motivation to run for city council and is continuing to promote fair maps and responsible redistricting as a public official,' Vaughn said. 'I'm looking forward to continuing our work to make the city of Valparaiso the third city in the state to create a citizens' redistricting advisory commission.' Additional information about redistricting can be found on the Valpo Redistricting page of the League of Women Voters of Porter County website, Mayor Jon Costas and the rest of the city council have yet to share their thoughts publicly about the need for redistricting. 'As a member of the League of Women Voters of Porter County, I have been involved in the redistricting process for the past several years,' Domer said. 'Taking the politicians out of the map drawing process and entrusting the residents of our community with this responsibility will likely create district maps which respect communities/neighborhoods of interest without dividing voters for political gain.' In 2022, the city entered a contract with the law firm of a former speaker of the Indiana House of Representatives to draw the city district maps, prompting Domer to be vocally critical of the outcome. 'The city paid close to $50,000 for this service, while meanwhile residents, including myself, prior to my council election, proved we could draw the maps locally, and we drew legislative maps for free,' Domer said. Domer said an independent redistricting commission would establish 'the redistricting procedures that are transparent, inclusive and inviting public participation.' 'At the core of this commission's mission would be for them to be able to receive public input on how residents want to see their communities drawn,' Domer said.
