SUBJECT: CONSENT
Title
A Resolution of the Board of Trustees of the Town of Erie Recognizing Juneteenth as a Town Holiday
Body
DEPARTMENT: Administration
PRESENTER: Melissa Wiley, Deputy Town Administrator
STAFF RECOMMENDATION:
Recommendation
Approve resolution recognizing Juneteenth as a Town Holiday
End
SUMMARY AND BACKGROUND OF SUBJECT MATTER:
On June 17, 2021, President Joe Biden signed a bill to make Juneteenth a Federal holiday. Several states immediately followed the Federal government and legally designated Juneteenth as a state holiday. Those states included Illinois, Louisiana, New Jersey, New York, Texas, Virginia, and Washington. However, Juneteenth is not currently among the designated holidays observed by the Town of Erie. The Town Administrator and Deputy Town Administrator recommend changing that.
The Town of Erie currently observes the following holidays:
Holiday Date of Observance
New Year's Day First Day of January
Martin Luther King Day Third Monday in January
President's Day Third Monday of February
Memorial Day Last Monday of May
Independence Day Fourth Day of July
Labor Day First Monday of September
Veteran's Day Second Thursday of November
Thanksgiving Day Fourth Thursday of November
Day after Thanksgiving Fourth Friday of November
Christmas Eve Day Twenty-fourth Day of December
Christmas Day Twenty-fifth Day of December
New Year's Eve Day Thirty-first Day of December
For retention and recruiting purposes, the Town must offer a competitive benefits package. Adding Juneteenth would give employees 13 holidays (plus one floating holiday). This would make our holiday benefits package one of the most robust and competitive in the region.
Prospective employees look at the holidays offered by employers, and if the Town of Erie is at the forefront by making Juneteenth a holiday, we send a message that Erie is an inclusive employer. We also send...
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