The Hoquiam City Council again narrowly rejected an ordinance Monday that would have made Juneteenth and Native American Heritage Day official city holidays by the same 6-5 margin it had at the April 26 meeting.
Plans are in the works, however, for the city to officially recognize both days.
The ordinance would have added June 19 as Juneteenth to the city’s list of officially observed holidays. Juneteenth commemorates June 19, 1865, the date when Union Army General Gordon Granger proclaimed freedom from slavery in Texas.
It also would have added Native American Heritage Day the day after Thanksgiving, already a paid city holiday.
Councilman Paul McMillan suggested an amendment to the ordinance that would have removed Juneteenth and officially renamed the day after Thanksgiving “Native American Heritage Day.” He said that the city should also “support and celebrate (Juneteenth) this year, not in this document but with a mayor’s proclamation” and by placing signage in the city in support of the holiday.
“I can’t support this amendment,” said Councilman Steven Puvogel. “I think it’s really important that we as a city … take a leadership role in these important holidays.”
Some council members balked at making Juneteenth a city holiday for financial reasons.
Puvogel said the cost would be about $13,000 a year, “with potential for a little more” with indirect costs, up to $20,000. He argued the cost to the city was nominal and that adding the holiday would be a sign to employees and businesses “that we are competitive on that front as well.”
City Attorney Steve Johnson said the state statute that recognizes Juneteenth does not make it a legal holiday. If the city wanted to make it so, the council would need to pass its own ordinance.
McMillan’s amendment was voted down, 6-5. When discussing the ordinance as written, Councilwoman Elizabeth Reid brought up the cost again, saying she could not get behind the expense of adding the paid holiday.
“The state has already recognized these holidays as unpaid holidays, I don’t know why Hoquiam needs to have” them, said Reid. “How is that benefiting the Native American or African-American communities unless they are employees of the city? I believe the more fiscally responsible alternative would be proclamations from the city.”
In the end, the council rejected the ordinance 6-5. Voting in favor of the ordinance were Puvogel, Tracey Ushman, Denise Anderson, Brenda Carlstrom, and Jim George. Voting no were McMillan, Reid, Al Dick, Greg Grun, Bill Nelson and John Pelligrini. Councilman Dave Hinchen was unable to attend Monday’s meeting.
Later in the meeting, McMillan said, “I would like to have an ordinance brought up for Native American Heritage Day the day after Thanksgiving,” officially naming the already paid day off for city employees. “It doesn’t cost us anything,” he said, and it will be brought up at the next meeting June 14.
McMillan also asked Mayor Ben Winkelman to draft a proclamation in support of Juneteenth. Winkelman said he would happily draft one and present it at the June 14 meeting.
