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Portland Mayor Calls For Panel To Investigate Systemic Racism In City Budget, Policies

Portland’s mayor wants to create special panel to consider systemic racism in the city’s budget and policies.

Kate Snyder says the panel would be made up of multiple stakeholders to be appointed by her.

“But it wouldn’t start with us, it would start with members of the community. And it would be a first step for how to discuss these issues that are really being brought to light at this time,” she says.

Snyder says the steering committee would be tasked with developing a community vision statement on systemic racism, a project that she says could take up to six months. She plans to present a formal resolution to the full city council next month.

Snyder is also proposing that the city hire a local artist to paint a Black Lives Matter mural on Portland’s Congress Street, near City Hall.

A Columbia University graduate, Fred began his journalism career as a print reporter in Vermont, then came to Maine Public in 2001 as its political reporter, as well as serving as a host for a variety of Maine Public Radio and Maine Public Television programs. Fred later went on to become news director for New England Public Radio in Western Massachusetts and worked as a freelancer for National Public Radio and a number of regional public radio stations, including WBUR in Boston and NHPR in New Hampshire.