Conservative Newcastle City Councilman Steve Tallman resigned during the October 15 meeting, due to similar concerns and stances that led to an uproar over the raising of the Pride Flag over the Town Hall this past June.

This year, the councilmembers have remained split when voting on whether to issue proclamations and raise related flags, and the Hindu Heritage Proclamation led Tallman to reach his breaking point.

"This divisive behavior apparently is not going to change. People, I refuse to hold hands with participants in this misguided, divisive, and unproductive environment, with people who refuse to put the welfare of our community at the top of the list in everything we do," Tallman said. "Effective immediately, I'm disassociating myself with this unhealthy, toxic environment. I could be more effective where I'm not consistently attacked by ignorance and hatred. I'm out."

During that October meeting, Tallman said he abstained from voting on the Hindu Heritage Month proclamation due to impartiality, and accused Councilmember Paul Charbonneau of attacking his motives and reputation during Charbonneau's comments. Mayor Robert Clark dismissed Tallman's claims of ethics violations.

Tallman highlighted how a pastor testified and asked the council to not vote in favor of the Hindu Heritage proclamation, and that these proclamations put the council in a position of having to be consistent among communities.

Tallman has a track record of voting against proclamations recognizing the diverse groups that make up Newcastle. The council voted against raising the Pride Flag at the June 4 meeting, after Charbonneau brought up the issue. Tallman said the Pride Flag would leave out other groups of people if raised, emphasizing the feelings of those who would be excluded while not acknowledging the history or hardships of the LGBTQ+ community.

"Back in 1945, the president signed a proclamation to incarcerate Japanese people, because of concerns about public safety. We took away their land and their property, and we put them in prisons," Tallman said during the meeting. "We didn't raise a Japanese flag or do anything to support the Japanese people who went through hell during 1945."

The SGN previously reported on the council's June 18 meeting, where Tallman again expressed his desire to not raise the Pride flag and said that other members of the council were working hard to create division. Tallman reiterated his desire for unity and to not exclude anyone, including heterosexual cisgender people, but by the end of the meeting, the council narrowly voted in favor of raising the flag.

The city must fill Tallman's vacant position by January 13, and if the council is split on its decision, the King County Council will become involved. Councilmember Charbonneau told the SGN he hopes to see that position filled sooner rather than later, since the council has a comprehensive plan and budget to approve.

"I think to be a city councilmember you need to have patience, be able to deal with frustration, and accept that just because you want something to happen doesn't mean that's what is right or should happen," he said.