City Civil Rights Commission Still Dormant
Five months after telling this outlet that the Spencer administration was close to refilling the seats on the Civil Rights Enforcement Agency (CREA)’s oversight commission, no further progress appears to have been made. The city’s website continues to indicate that the only members of the board with current appointments are those mandated by city ordinance. Those seats belong to the agency’s Executive Director and Ald. Daniela Velasquez, whose seat stems from her role as Chairperson of the Board of Aldermen’s Legislation Committee.
Previously, the mayor’s office indicated that it would be accepting applications until October 31st of last year. Mayor Spencer’s staff also previously indicated that appointments would be made by the end of 2025. The continued inaction indicates that the process stalled at some point.
Mayor Spencer’s Communications Director, Holly Roberts, responded to questions about the continuing delay in submitting new commissioners for aldermanic approval. “We received many applications and are currently going through the applicant list. We are also still working through the application process, which includes background checks and interviews,” stated Roberts.
The commission’s dormant state predates the Spencer administration, as CREA’s website indicates previous commissioners’ terms ending in 2022, 2023, and 2024. During her final months in office, former mayor Tishaura Jones’ spokesperson committed to refilling the empty seats on the board. She did not do so. According to CREA’s webpage on the commission, it indicates that the commission last met on August 8th of 2023. It has likely not had enough members to meet a quorum in the close to three years that have passed. According to the agency’s website, CREA is tasked with recommending actions “to safeguard all individuals within the jurisdiction from discrimination because of race, marital status, familial status, sexual orientation, sex, color, age, religion, disability, national origin or ancestry, or legal source of income”. The last year that CREA appears to have completed an annual report is 2019.
Author’s note: Ald. Velasquez was contacted for comment, but did not respond.
