Lack Of Promised Diversity Funding Disappoints Some In Melrose

MELROSE, MA — When Mayor Paul Brodeur offered a compromise for last summer's explosive tussle over police guns and bias training, he promised to add an annual line item committed to diversity, equity and inclusion starting with the Fiscal Year 2022 budget.

But when the budget was revealed last month, there was no such item.

There was a spot for a new Human Resources assistant "to allow the department to implement DEI Initiatives," according to a budget presentation. There was a DEI position the school department will share with the SEEM Collaborative. And outside the budget, there was a $100,000 one-time expense to put into action recommendations from an ongoing external needs assessment into city practices.

But there was no line item on the city side indicating a recurring investment in DEI practices.

That's because of the pandemic, Brodeur said.

"Advancing diversity, equity, and inclusion in Melrose remains a top priority," he told Patch in an email. "The pandemic has delayed many initiatives my administration has put forth, and unfortunately the same is true of our DEI timeline."

Specifically, the line item was earmarked to implement the recommendations of an external needs assessment commissioned by the city. The pandemic — as well as a key departure in Brodeur's administration — delayed the assessment, so there are no recommendations to implement.

But some advocates don't buy that as a valid reason for delaying funding. The Racial Justice Community Coalition said in a letter to the City Council it was "extremely disappointed" by the lack of a line item.

"Though the city’s DEI consultant, Visions Inc, hasn’t yet finished their evaluation of the city, there has been more than enough discussion and highlighting of basic equity issues in our city –– within our coalition and elsewhere –– over the past year for Melrose to begin the work of prioritizing and funding DEI initiatives and training," the letter read. "While we understand that it may be too late in the budget process for a line-item to be created, there MUST be a real investment and financial commitment to more effectively move the work forward."

The $100,000 free cash allocation is a starting point, Brodeur said, and he is open to funding more DEI advancement through free cash.

"And based on the needs assessment and other important work we are undertaking, we will have the data and community engagement to thoughtfully fund our DEI program through a line item beginning in FY23," he said.

The Racial Justice Community Coalition intends to hold Brodeur to it.

"Words are not enough," the group said. "City budgets reflect city priorities –– and promises have been made."

Brodeur last July offered the annual line item, among other things, as a way to help move the city past what had essentially become a choice between either funding an upgrade of police guns or bias training. He also said some of the next round of free cash would be set aside for the weapons upgrade and instituting changes recommended from the review of the city.

The police guns were approved in January. The $100,000 to implement the needs assessment recommendations were approved last week.

But the assessment process has only just begun. HR Director Polina Latta told the City Council that Brodeur's then-Chief of Staff Patrick Prendergast had led the efforts on it, but he has since departed the administration.

Now Visions, Inc., a training and consulting service, is working on it. A six-person working group from the city has had multiple meetings and is finalizing planning and assessment, according to Latta.

The group will soon collect data, including through a survey which residents, employees and school parents can expect to receive soon, and Visions will follow by interviewing city leaders around the end of June.

In the meantime, Latta said she has found free resources and training to help department heads. But there just isn't the funding — or HR manpower — to go much beyond that right now.

"If you want to make a difference, if you want to commit to anti-racism and inequity and building a stronger community, you need to commit to the funding," she said.

Mike Carraggi can be reached at mike.carraggi@patch.com. Follow him on Twitter @PatchCarraggi and Instagram at Melrose Happening. Subscribe to Melrose Patch for free local news and alerts and like us on Facebook.