Establish a Racial Equity Office, Plan, and Commission
What you will see on the ballot
This proposal would amend the City Charter to:
Require citywide and agency-specific Racial Equity Plans every two years. The plans would include intended strategies and goals to improve racial equity and to reduce or eliminate racial disparities;
Establish an Office of Racial Equity and appoint a Chief Equity Officer to advance racial equity and coordinate the City’s racial equity planning process. The Office would support City agencies in improving access to City services and programs for those people and communities who have been negatively affected by previous policies or actions, and collect and report data related to equity; and
Establish a Commission on Racial Equity, appointed by City elected officials. In making appointments to this Commission, elected officials would be required to consider appointees who are representative of or have experience advocating for a diverse range of communities. The Commission would identify and propose priorities to inform the racial equity planning process and review agency and citywide Racial Equity Plans.
Shall this proposal be adopted?
Summary
This proposal would create an Office of Racial Equity, require a citywide Racial Equity Plan every two years, and create a Commission on Racial Equity. New York City does not currently have a government agency focused on creating and promoting equity. This proposal establishes how the city government can advance equity, with a particular focus on racial equity.
If this Proposal Passes
- The city would create an Office of Racial Equity, led by a Chief Equity Officer appointed by the Mayor. This office would:
- Develop a citywide Racial Equity Plan every two years based on Racial Equity Plans produced by each city agency.
- Support city agencies in measuring and collecting data on wellbeing across racial, ethnic, and other communities.
- Identify “priority neighborhoods” to be highlighted in Racial Equity Plans.
- Establish a Citywide Access Design program to increase access and reduce barriers to city programs, services, communications, and decision-making.
- Help city agencies address marginalization of individuals and communities.
- Codify the Taskforce on Racial Inclusion and Equity, which would provide policy advice to the Chief Equity Officer and coordinate governmental efforts to increase racial equity.
- Every two years the Mayor would create a citywide Racial Equity Plan and city agencies would create their own Racial Equity Plans. These plans would inform the city’s budget planning.
- The city would create a Commission on Racial Equity with 15 members appointed by the Mayor and City Council Speaker. The Commission would:
- Propose community priorities to inform the racial equity planning process.
- Review citywide Racial Equity Plans.
- Track agency compliance with racial equity planning.
- Receive public complaints about city agencies that are creating racial disparities.
