In last year's election, Thorpe ousted incumbent Mayor Sean Wright, and Mayor Pro Tem Joy Motts lost to Tamisha Torres-Walker. The vote count delivered an African-American majority on the City Council and a definite progressive swing to local politics. In launching the discussion on the proposals, Thorpe emphasized the importance of bringing more "transparency" to police practices. Torres-Walker noted, "Change is never easy … but the world is watching. What we are doing today is just the floor not the ceiling." The council spent hours of the meeting airing public comments from hundreds of residents, minority activists and law enforcement supporters.