Snohomish County Council approves hiring diversity expert

Published 2:11 pm Wednesday, February 27, 2008

The Snohomish County Council vote 4-1 today to hire a diversity expert in county government.

All four Democrats on the panel voted for the measure. Republican County Councilman John Koster voting against it.

The move comes a year after the council shot down the position in a controversial 3-2 vote that angered some diversity advocates in the community.

Two new council members were elected in November, replacing term limited members Gary Nelson and Kirke Sievers, who were two of the opposing votes.

Approval of the position, called a community inclusion manager, is a milestone for Snohomish County and a step toward including more minority groups in county hiring and county contracts, council members who supported the measure said.