COUNTY BOARD TO REVIEW DEPARTMENT EQUITY PLANS

August 21, 2019
Supervisor Shelia Stubbs - 608.345.6961
County Board

At the County Board meeting last week, Supervisor Shelia Stubbs introduced a resolution calling for all Dane County departments to have their equity plans completed and reviewed by the appropriate standing committee in the coming months. 

 

Building on the County’s equity work, the resolution emphasizes the need to institutionalize the work of heightening awareness, eliminating disparities, and achieving equity. 

 

“Since every department is working so diligently on budget guidelines, why not work on equity at the same time,” Stubbs said. “I’m very passionate about this work.”

 

The County Board approved a resolution over five years ago that called for a strategic action plan for county government, inclusive engagement of the communities impacted by county policies, the development of equity indicators as well as an equity impact model, and a determination of how services provided by each department might have an impact on equity.

 

Following an equity assessment of county government, the Tamara D. Grigsby Office for Equity and Inclusion was established. The creation of this office demonstrated a long term commitment to addressing equity related issues.

 

The Office for Equity and Inclusion Advisory Board has worked with departments throughout county government over the past several years to review equity plans, focusing on organizational commitment to equity, leadership development and staff composition.  Many department have developed and are implementing equity plans, but some have not.

 

 

Greg Jones, Dane County NAACP President and Co-Chair of the Advisory Board, said "the Advisory Board's greatest contribution to advancing equity and inclusion throughout county government will be by monitoring agency equity plans and frameworks for improvement, thereby creating opportunities for all residents of Dane County.”

 

“We’ve taken great strides to achieve equity in county government, but there is more to do.  Having these plans available to the public and imbedded in the county’s work is critical,” Stubbs remarked.

 

The resolution calls for department plans to be completed by October 1 and posted on the Office for Equity and Inclusion’s website for community review.