Mayor vetoes City Council's values-aligned investments ordinance

By Neil Zolot

In an October 9 letter, Mayor Breanna Lungo-Koehn vetoed the City Council’s Values-Aligned Local Investments Ordinance, which sought to eliminate public funds from investments the Council deemed antithetical to its values. Those investments included armaments, fossil fuels, prisons, and other industries allegedly involved in human rights violations.

The City Council tabled discussion of the matter at their meeting Tuesday, October 21.

“After careful consideration, I respectfully veto this ordinance passed by the City Council,” the mayor’s letter reads. “The decision is grounded in serious concerns raised by KP Law’s memorandum, particularly the potential for litigation, as well as substantial financial implications for the city that have yet to be thoroughly evaluated by our internal and external financial teams,” a reference to state law that requires public funds to be invested for the highest possible financial gain.

The city had requested that KP Law review the ordinance and render a legal opinion.

Here is more of what the mayor said in the letter:

“This ordinance, in its current form and in my opinion, has not undergone the level of diligence required for a matter of such legal and financial magnitude, nor were there any recommendations to do so considered. Specifically, the final ordinance was passed without fully addressing the substantive concerns raised by the Law and Finance Departments.

“Of particular concern is the exposure this ordinance creates for city employees, many of whom would be placed in difficult, if not untenable, positions under the current language. Without clear legal guidance and structured implementation protocols, our employees risk operating under uncertainty, with potential personal and professional liability. This is not an acceptable outcome for a municipal workforce that relies on clarity, legal compliance, and operational consistency.

“Furthermore, the recommendation from my administration and legal counsel to seek further input from all relevant financial stakeholders was not heeded. The absence of this vetting process undermines our ability to comply with state law, safeguard municipal finances, and maintain public trust.

“Enacting policy without fully considering the impact on our departments, employees, and constituents erodes confidence in our governance. I urge the Council to revisit this ordinance with the additional deliberation it requires, ensuring that legal liabilities are carefully considered, financial impacts are understood, and implementation responsibilities are clearly recognized.

“Despite some of the characterizations made during Council meetings, my administration has made good-faith efforts to work collaboratively on this issue. The lack of a pause by the Council when they became aware of the memorandum by KP Law before adoption is unfortunate, but not irreversible.

“It is my sincere hope we can move forward together constructively, transparently and in partnership to resolve legal and financial issues identified by KP Law and our internal teams. For these reasons and in the interest of protecting the city and its employees, I respectfully submit this formal veto and objection to the ordinance.”

Council approves agreement for digitizing library's local history collections

The council approved a request from the mayor to authorize the city and the library to enter into a five-year agreement with Adam Matthew Ltd., doing business as AM Quartz, to support the digitization of the library’s local history collections under the Bloomberg Digital Innovation Grant.

The proposed agreement reads, in part:

“This contract pertains specifically to the vendor responsible for the creation and ongoing support of the digital platform. Given the complexity and long-term nature of this project, a five-year service plan is essential. While the platform will undergo an initial build, content will be added on a continuous basis well beyond the initial term. Local history materials are inherently complex, unlike standard print materials, they include audio-visual content and oral history recordings that require specialized support for proper integration and presentation.

"This platform will serve as a vital and evolving community resource.”

Library Director Barbara Kerr said in regard to digitization of material inside the library and, at some point, other materials, including city documents, “This is a great opportunity to get started. Having help is important for this project. It will be a huge tool. The Bloomberg Grant is for what’s inside the library, but there’s no reason why we can’t digitize other things down the road.”