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The Renton City Council moved to publicly clarify how the city processes code of conduct complaints against elected officials after a local advocacy group accused city leadership of ignoring a formal complaint about a councilmember’s conduct toward a female employee.
At the Nov. 9 Renton City Council meeting, councilmember Carmen Rivera proposed the city communicate “a clear process” regarding code of conduct complaints. This was in response to several public comments asking for action against a councilmember for a comment he made at a committee meeting in August.
Rivera said she has received many code of conduct complaints and has seen them used as a tool to censor council members.
“Now I’ve learned the answer over the years, and from my understanding and hoping to be corrected, the answer is we are elected officials. The only way you can hold us accountable was during an election year, and that is kind of the answer that I have always been given, right?” Rivera said. “ I felt like some of the inconsistencies around the code of conduct and complaint around certain council members’ decorum has been oftentimes in my experience, rooted in a racialized view of what is professional.”
Rivera said she would like a clear communication on the city website on the process after a code of conduct complaint is made, who to email and who is meant to respond.
“I’m not saying we come up with a code of conduct. I’m just saying we articulate the clear process to increase consistency around, because I have seen it used to harm me as a council member,” Rivera said. “I don’t want to see you be harmed by anybody else, but also I do want consistency for council members who do behave poorly, because I’ve also been experiencing the gender-based harassment and responses and remarks from some of my colleagues who will remain nameless.”
In an email to the Renton Reporter, For a Better Renton Founder Sheryl Friesz said the organization filed a formal written complaint to city leadership on Aug. 18, 2026 regarding councilmember James Alberson’s conduct during a Public Safety Committee meeting. She said Alberson addressed a female city employee and asked if she was there to decrease the amount of testosterone in the room.
“The comment was made near the end of the meeting, after the female employee had apparently not participated in the discussion. We do not know what motivated the comment, however its timing and context were among the reasons we asked the city to review it,” Friesz said.
Friesz said the meeting was attended by several city officials and employees including the city attorney and the deputy chief administrative and asked what obligations do city employees have when they witness this kind of behavior.
The complaint also raised other concerns about Alberson and his behavior on the dais in addressing members of the audience.
“We did not ask the City to accept our interpretation,” Friesz said. “We asked it to review the facts, identify the applicable standards, determine whether those standards were followed—including by those who witnessed the incident—and respond in writing. The city did not acknowledge the complaint.”
Councilmember Alberson did not comment on the complaint at the city council meeting and did not vote on the motion made by Rivera. Councilmembers Vallerie O’Halloran and Ruth Pérez also did not appear to vote in recording of the meeting.
