'We Are Better Than This': Residents Confront Erie City Council Over Decorum, Leadership

By Julia Carden

Erie City Council Members (Standing) Marilyn Pol, Andre Horton, Jasmine Flores, Kathy Schaaf, Ed Brzezinski, Maurice "Mo" Troop. (Seated) Tyler Titus

Erie City Council chambers were full on Wednesday, June 17, as community members turned out in large numbers to address concerns over respect, representation, and decorum in public office.

During a meeting that stretched more than four hours, over 50 residents addressed Council, with many using the public comment period to condemn the misgendering of Council President Dr. Tyler Titus and to call for greater professionalism and accountability from elected officials.

The public outcry followed a June 9 special meeting on the proposed Bayfront Market House project, where Councilmember Ed Brzezinski misgendered Titus, who uses they/them pronouns.

Following the special meeting, many community members took to social media to condemn the incident, with many calling for accountability and attention to Council decorum. That reaction carried into Wednesday's meeting, where residents used the public comment period to express concern over what they viewed as a breakdown in professional conduct.

Speakers argued that while disagreement is a natural and necessary part of governance, public officials have a responsibility to engage one another with civility and set an example for the community they serve.

Erie resident Ken Quinn spoke about accessibility concerns in the city while also calling for Brzezinski's resignation: "I've never seen so much disrespect from a sitting Councilmember in all of the years that I've lived here," Quinn said. "I've never seen the disrespect that I saw at the last Council meeting from that member anywhere that I've lived. We are better than this."

Former Councilwoman Susannah Faulkner, who became the first woman appointed to Erie City Council in 2023, also condemned the remarks. "We cannot claim to be an inclusive, welcoming city when we tolerate public bigotry," Faulkner said during public comment.

Titus, a licensed counselor, community advocate, and founder of Compton's Table, has served on Erie City Council since 2021. In response, Titus encouraged supporters to support Compton's Table, a local nonprofit serving the LGBTQIA+ community throughout the region.

While the controversy dominated much of the evening's discussion, residents also addressed a range of municipal concerns, including the city's budget, rising costs of living, housing affordability, and public services.

Brzezinski has not publicly apologized for or commented on the remarks made during the June 9 special meeting. Erie City Council meets regularly on the first and third Wednesdays of each month at City Hall.

About the Author

Julia Carden Julia Carden (she/her) is a writer and editor from Cambridge Springs, Pennsylvania. She joined Erie Gay News in 2026. Julia holds a degree in Journalism and Professional Writing from Pennsylvania Western University - Edinboro. She also earned a Master of Arts in News, Magazine, and Digital Journalism from the S.I. Newhouse School of Public Communications at Syracuse University. Her research and writing in gender and women’s studies inform both her professional work and her approach to storytelling.