Scranton Mayor Paige Cognetti, a Democratic candidate for the U.S. House of Representatives in Pennsylvania’s 8th Congressional District, proposed raising taxes to fund a diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) officer. The proposed budget for 2023 included a 3% property tax increase, which was estimated to generate $957,000 for the city, to cover the costs of several new positions, including the DEI coordinator, which was budgeted at $25,500. The total estimated cost for the new positions was $380,500, but the budget was not adopted.
Cognetti's proposal reflects her views on the importance of diversity in government as she campaigns to unseat incumbent Rep. Rob Bresnahan, R-Pa. In a podcast, she stated, "We’re not doing this for the publicity. We’re doing this quietly so that these conversations just become the norm."
The Cognetti campaign highlighted that Bresnahan’s company has received government assistance for being women-owned, which they argue aligns with DEI policies. Bresnahan’s company, Kuharchik Construction Inc., has received $162,000 in federal contracts since 2008, although it has not received payments since 2017.
The campaign also claimed that Cognetti's actions as mayor have reduced the city's costs, including balancing the budget and improving the city’s credit rating. Despite emphasizing cost-cutting, Cognetti's approach to the 2023 budget indicates her belief in allocating resources toward diversity initiatives.
Cognetti expressed that her efforts in DEI have not conflicted with Scranton's interests, asserting that hiring qualified candidates has led to increased diversity in government roles. She noted that City Hall has seen a greater representation of people of color and women compared to four years ago, attributing this to merit-based hiring practices.