TAMPA, Fla. (WFLA) — To comply with federal regulations, the City of Tampa has decided to discontinue its Racial Reconciliation Committee (TRRC). This group was created to provide recommendations to the city on addressing racial discrimination in various areas such as affordable housing and economic development.
The committee aimed to tackle issues pertaining to racial discrimination in affordable and accessible housing and economic development, along with areas such as empowerment and entrepreneurship, opportunities for youth, and overlooked historical aspects.
Committee Vice Chair Christopher Harris explained how the group was doing.
“Can we sit here and say that we walked away with the recommendations, the final recommendations? Absolutely not. But I think progress was being made,” Harris commented.
According to city officials, the committee disbanded because it exceeded the time allocation granted by city council members. Although the council was considering an extension, legal concerns emerged, prompting a review. This culminated in a memo from the City Attorney on Thursday, effectively bringing the committee to an end.
“It’s all from the federal government, and I think it’s terrible. I’ve never seen such blatant appeals to racial grievance and division coming from the federal government for things like this,” expressed Council Member Luis Viera.
Council members made it clear that the decision was beyond their authority. 8 On Your Side inquired with Council Member Charlie Miranda about the possibility of opposing the federal government.
“If there is, it becomes very difficult for the City of Tampa,” Miranda said. “You can wait for the next president elected from either party.”
The memo points to recommendations from the U.S. Attorney General in July saying federal funding recipients should discontinue any program or policy designed to achieve discriminatory outcomes, even those using facially neutral means. The memo also said the Department of Justice is looking for federal fund recipients who “knowingly engage in racist preferences, mandates, policies programs and activities, including through DEI programs that assign benefits or burdens on race, ethnicity or national origin.”
“Some of those words have been, I think, mischaracterized and have become something that maybe (was) not initially intended,” Harris said. “All politics is local. And so you know that politically these things were going to impact us locally at some point.”
Harris said he was not surprised by this decision. And while he said he does not know what percentage of the city’s budget was federal, he understands there was a lot at risk, leaving the council’s hands tied.
“Elected officials would like it if they could do what they can to make the city better. The federal government should not tell us what we can and cannot do. But evidently, that’s what’s trending in this country,” Miranda said.
The memo also mentioned federal funding for FEMA Reimbursement for hurricane response and housing and urban development, and more. This decision did not require a vote.
