Hunter
07/17/20
Coralville Mayor John Lundell has issued a statement condemning comments made by City Councilor Tom Gill this week.
During a meeting to discuss issues of racial inequities in the city and information about police stops in the city on Tuesday, Gill denounced Black Lives Matter for vandalizing property during their protests, saying “BLM to me is a bunch of criminals, and I have zero tolerance for criminals.”
He called the compiling information about police stops involving minority drivers “a big-city problem, not a Coralville problem.” He added that some members of the Council “want to create issues.”
In a statement released Friday, the mayor said, “(Gill)’s comments were offensive to me and the other
members of the City Council. They in no way reflect the beliefs or values of the Council, me, or our staff.”
Lundell added, “I have heard from many community members who also found Mr. Gill’s comments very troubling and not reflective of the feelings of the majority of the Coralville community.”
The mayor and City Council are still conducting a review and are committed to making improvements related to racial inequities in the city of Coralville, according to Lundell.