Scranton Mayor Paige Cognetti, a Democrat running for the U.S. House of Representatives in Pennsylvania’s 8th Congressional District, once proposed raising property taxes to create a diversity, equity and inclusion (DEI) coordinator position, according to records from the city’s 2023 budget. The proposed budget included a 3% property tax increase estimated to generate $957,000 for the city, with $25,500 allocated for the DEI role. The plan also sought funding for a police chief, a fire chief, a business administrator, a solicitor and a director of public works, with total costs for the new positions estimated at $380,500. The budget was not adopted by the city council, which cut the DEI coordinator role without public debate.
Cognetti’s proposal highlights her approach to governance and diversity as she seeks to flip one of the most competitive congressional districts in the country. The race pits her against incumbent Republican Rep. Rob Bresnahan, who won the seat in 2022 by a narrow margin. Cognetti has emphasized her commitment to diversity in government, stating in a 2023 podcast that she aimed to make such efforts routine. “We’re not doing this for the publicity. We’re doing this quietly so that these conversations just become the norm,” she said.
The mayor’s campaign defended the proposal by pointing to Bresnahan’s company, Kuharchik Construction Inc., which has received federal contracts as a women-owned business. “Rob Bresnahan’s own company identifies itself as disadvantaged and women-owned in order to get a leg up on securing federal contracts,” a Cognetti spokesperson said in a statement. Records show the company has received $162,000 in federal contracts since 2008, though no payments have been made since 2017. Bresnahan is not under investigation for insider trading, despite campaign claims about his stock trades.
Cognetti’s campaign also highlighted her fiscal record as mayor, noting that she balanced the budget after years of mismanagement, improved the city’s credit rating from junk bond status to an A- investment rating, and refused a pay raise and a government car. “Mayor Cognetti ran as an independent against a corrupt Democratic machine and reformed city hall. She saved taxpayers' money,” the campaign said. However, her 2023 budget proposal reflected a belief that diversity should be a priority for government spending. In the podcast, she explained that the DEI coordinator was cut by the city council without public comment, adding, “You know, you want to raise taxes 3%. ‘Well, it should be only 2%.’ OK, well, let’s have that conversation.”
Cognetti argued that her focus on merit-based hiring has naturally led to a more diverse city workforce. “When you walk into City Hall today, there are far more people of color and far more women working there, I think, than you would have seen four years ago,” she said. “It's not because we have had some grand strategy beyond really just hiring the best people for the jobs and trying to make sure that our jobs are posted in places that people are looking.” The 8th Congressional District race is expected to be one of the most closely watched in the 2024 election cycle, with both candidates trading barbs over fiscal responsibility and DEI policies.
