Framingham OKs City Diversity, Equity Officer Job

FRAMINGHAM, MA — The Framingham City Council has approved the creation of a city diversity, equity and inclusion officer — but a vote on funding the $125,000 salary still lies ahead.

The Council approved the position in a 10-1 vote with District 4 Councilor Michael Cannon the sole no vote. But in discussing the position, Councilors have been divided over whether it deserves the six-figure salary.

Council Chair George King Jr. has said that he supports the job, but an equal cut should be made elsewhere in city government to pay for it. Cannon was opposed to the role, he said, because there is no plan to measure performance.

Mayor Yvonne Spicer has been trying to hire someone for the position for years, but the search took on new meaning this summer amid nationwide protests over the killings of George Floyd and Breonna Taylor. And some Councilors agreed that it's taken Framingham too long to hire someone.

"I think this is a position that's greatly needed," District 5 Councilor Robert Case said. "I think it needs to just be reiterated that we're looking for someone who not only has the experience, but who is higher skilled, and they have to create this program — this is creating something from scratch."

Spicer has proposed hiring a diversity officer in each of her budget recommendations, and did receive approval to hire someone in a previous budget. But Spicer has said a candidate for the job turned down the city's offer to take a higher paying job. The job was cut from the budget during deliberations in June, but Spicer came back to Council and asked them to put it back into the budget.

A City Council subcommittee last week voted 3-2 against approving the position, largely due to the cost.

Next, the Council will hold a public hearing on whether to allot the money to pay for the salary. Spicer told a Council subcommittee last week that she needs the higher amount — she had previously asked for up to $115,000 — due to recent social unrest, and to be competitive.