A department housing the city of Chattanooga’s DEI initiatives will no longer exist after a final City Council vote Tuesday.
The plan the council voted on, designed by Mayor Tim Kelly’s administration, will keep the city in compliance with a new state law requiring public institutions to remove their diversity, equity and inclusion offices. The Department of Equity and Community Engagement employed 12 positions and received about $2 million in annual funds, which will now be redistributed to different departments.
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Similarly, Nashville and Memphis have closed down offices and pulled programs since April, when the law went into effect.
The plan moved all but one of the positions under the department to two places: the Department of Community Development and the Office of Constituent Services, with job descriptions altered to remove DEI-focused duties. Both places also will receive the redistributed $2 million.