Goshen City Council adopts guiding principles

The guidelines, proposed by the Community Relations Commission and adopted into the council's rules of order, state that council embraces certain principles in conducting business and promoting the best interests of the city. Those principles include respect for others and their rights, open communication, honesty, a safe community, acceptance that change has both positive and negative impacts and tolerance of differences.

Councilman Mike Orgill voted against the principles after his attempt to amend the last one, "support for equality and freedom from discrimination," was voted down. He said the terms have gained political connotations that stray from a strict definition and suggested referring instead to "equality of opportunity" and "freedom from unjust discrimination."

He noted that equal outcomes can't be guaranteed in a free market economy and that he can picture cases where discrimination is necessary.