Spokane Valley Councilman Al Merkel believes his Latino heritage may be factor in reception at city hall
May 15—Spokane Valley City Councilman Al Merkel responded to the recently completed investigation into his conduct with city staff at a council meeting Tuesday, questioning whether elements of the investigation's findings and the measures put in place during and after the probe may have been racial discrimination.
The investigation launched in March wrapped up last Thursday, with the independent investigator finding Merkel consistently treated city staff disrespectfully. The nearly two dozen city employees, city council members and an outside consultant interviewed by the investigator referenced intimidating behavior and apprehension for their safety, and raised hostile work environment concerns due to Merkel.
The investigator concluded Merkel's actions were not unlawful because he treated staff members from all walks of life and identities the same. Merkel, however, did "overwhelmingly" violate the city council's Governance Manual regarding workplace civility, the report states.
In multiple statements during the investigation, and after its conclusion, Merkel called the investigation a politically motivated effort to silence him from city staffers and fellow council members who disagree with his ideas and approach.
In a prepared statement Tuesday, Merkel said he is fulfilling his campaign promise of shaking up the status quo at City Hall to impact real change in the Valley, and that he has filed complaints of his own about staff members that he believes have not been properly addressed.
Merkel, who identifies as Latino due to his Honduran mother, added that the whole ordeal might be a form of racial discrimination.
"My punishment for running on a platform of change?" Merkel said, reading from a prepared statement. "Be relegated to using the backdoor to work in a closet in City Hall, separate but equal segregation for the only nonwhite member of the city council, ostracized from everyone else."
Merkel's allotted time for comments ended before he completed his entire prepared statement, and the rest of the council did not respond.
City Manager John Hohman limited Merkel's interactions with city staff when the investigation started, having him work in an old conference room on the first floor, separate from the other council offices on the third floor of City Hall. Hohman also requested Merkel only speak with himself, Assistant City Manager Erik Lamb or Human Resources Director John Whitehead.
Hohman said last week those measures will remain in place due to the report's findings.
"The report found he frequently belittled and berated them in the conduct of their duties," Hohman said in an interview last week. "This created an atmosphere of fear and intimidation. The end result, really, is that this conduct wouldn't be acceptable in any workplace and shouldn't be acceptable in the City of Spokane Valley."
Hohman said Wednesday the city prides itself on being a "welcoming community for everyone, including city staff, council members and visitors to City Hall," in a written response to Merkel's allegations. He added that the decision to move Merkel's desk was to ensure city employees feel safe in the workplace.
"All Council members will now return to parking outside of and using the west entrance of City Hall, as they did prior to the building's recent construction," Hohman said in response to Merkel's claim he was asked to enter through a "back door."
Merkel said in an interview that he doesn't like to put the theory out there that it may be related to his race, but that "there is a certain demographic and age group at City Hall" that made him wonder if it might be a factor.
"It kind of starts to strike you, what's with all this strange concern about safety?" Merkel said. "What is it about me that makes them feel unsafe? Is it that I'm naturally loud, that I'm tall, large, dark-skinned with dark hair and dark eyes?"
Merkel said if it is racial discrimination, he does not believe it is representative of the community he grew up in.
"It's not a place I really like to go," Merkel said. "If this is the case, this is absolutely not representative of Spokane Valley. I've never felt like this in a workplace."
Deputy Mayor Tim Hattenburg said he does not believe race has been a factor in any of the disagreements between staff members, council members and Merkel, and does not believe any prejudice sparked the safety concerns or investigation.
Hattenburg acknowledged that he did not know Merkel was Latino before he made the comment last night.
"Everybody was just shocked that he would throw that out there," Hattenburg said.
In his experience, City Hall has been a welcoming place for all Spokane Valley residents during his more than four years on the council, Hattenburg said. He took offense to Merkel's insinuation that he is of a demographic that would treat others differently based on race. Hattenburg noted he has two adopted sons, one with Native American heritage and another with Hispanic heritage
.
"I think he's kind of run out of other things to say, and he just throws whatever out and sees what sticks," Hattenburg said. "That's not an issue with anybody at City Hall."
