Mayor Tom Wieseler read a mayoral proclamation reiterating the city’s shared values of compassion, inclusion, dignity and respect at the April 3 council meeting.
The City of Mount Vernon may also be continuing work on a Diversity, Equity and Inclusion statement moving forward, and Wieseler said the statement does not exclude any of that work from occurring.
“I just thought that I as mayor should take a step forward on this,” Wieseler said. “I mailed a few council members about this being something I was going to do, and their voice of support is what changed the last line from simply the mayor but the city council.
“WHEREAS, equality, inclusion, respect, and safety for all persons is a core value of the City of Mount Vernon; and WHEREAS, we know that communities succeed and achieve their best potential when all persons are welcomed; and WHEREAS, verbal and physical acts that threaten, intimidate, or harm are not consistent with our core values, are not part of our culture and do not reflect who we are; and WHEREAS, we are committed to the human rights provisions of our city codes and policies, and the constitutions of the United States of America and the State of Iowa that protect civil liberties and provide equal protection under the law; and WHEREAS, we strongly condemn any rhetoric, regardless of viewpoint, that involves threatening or intimidating language and all actions that involve the threat or fact of physical harm to others; and WHEREAS, we strongly denounce hate groups to include white supremacists, neo-Nazi’s, antisemites, and fascists, that proliferate this hateful dialogue; and WHEREAS, we celebrate our community’s diversity, and welcome all residents who live here, regardless of their national origin or ancestry, race, color, religion, creed, sex, marital status, age, mental or physical disability, political affiliation, gender identity, familial status, sexual orientation, or financial and socioeconomic status;
NOW, THEREFORE, We, Thomas M. Wieseler, Mayor and the City Council of Mount Vernon, Iowa, do hereby proclaim that the City of Mount Vernon reaffirms our community’s shared values of compassion, inclusion, respect, and dignity, and our commitment to building an environment, and a community, in which everyone is valued and everyone has the opportunity to thrive; and we encourage the citizens of Mount Vernon and surrounding communities to likewise affirm these values of inclusion and to turn away from the path of darkness, division and violence promoted by any person or hateful groups.”