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Equity and social justice going strong The Equity
and Social Justice work continues strong following last fall's
passage of Ordinance 2010-0509. One of the key outcomes of this
ordinance is to integrate equity and social justice practices into
the county's strategic, operational and business plans; management
and reporting systems for accountability and performance; and
budgets. Among the
highlights this year:
- A
new Inter-Branch Team has been supporting departments and
agencies as they expand fairness in their decision-making,
organizational practices and work with communities.
- Departments
and agencies have made Equity and Social Justice commitments for
2011.
- Budget
process for 2012 continues with the county's commitment to
equity and social justice. Agencies are required to describe the
process used to evaluate equity implications of the budget and
business plans and mitigate negative impacts.
- King
County has developed a Community Engagement Guide, to support
programs in more effective outreach and engagement with local
communities (See article below).
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Equity and Social Justice at the Martin Luther King
Jr. Celebration At this
year's Martin Luther King Jr. celebration, Executive Dow Constantine
and Councilmember Larry Gossett took the stage to discuss King
County's successes and ongoing work with equity and social
justice. Executive
Constantine acknowledged the incredible work being
done across departments and branches in King County. One
example included the success in building partnerships with the South
Park community, local and state government, funders, and private
business, resulting in an eventual new South Park bridge. View the Executive's speech.
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Celebration video |
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New Community Engagement Guide launched King County
has developed a Community Engagement Guide to promote effective
engagement and customer service with all county communities. This
guide builds on the county's Strategic Plan as well as the Equity and
Social Justice Ordinance. Community
engagement is a two-way exchange of information, ideas and resources.
Engagement activities include a range of approaches from informing
residents to community-led efforts. Community engagement should offer
opportunities for people to express their views and have a meaningful
role in decision-making. Effective engagement removes barriers for
communities that may have previously prevented residents from
successfully working with county government. The
Community Engagement Guide provides tools, examples, resources and a
worksheet to assist in the community engagement process. View the Community Engagement Guide.
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Dr. Camara Jones on race, equity and opportunity Earlier this
year, Dr. Camara Jones led an equity and social justice workshop for
King County employees focusing on race, equity, and opportunity. Dr.
Jones is Research Director on Social Determinants of Health at the
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). In her
workshop, Dr. Jones identified racism as one of the social
determinants of equity and a fundamental cause of health disparities
in the United States. View Dr. Jones' workshop.
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Dr. Jones workshop video |
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Executive proposes reforms for expanded engagement
with residents of unincorporated areas In April,
Executive Dow Constantine transmitted to the King County Council a
new framework for public engagement in unincorporated areas. The proposal establishes
Community Service Areas that encompass all of unincorporated King
County and would help ensure that the county's engagement efforts
reach all residents, particularly communities that have been
historically under-represented. The
Executive is refining the proposal with the assistance and
involvement of the Unincorporated Area Councils, County
Councilmembers, other stakeholders and community members, and will
send his final proposal to the County Council in September. For more
information, contact Lauren Smith at lauren.smith@kingcounty.gov. |
Countywide Community Forums: Creating equity and
economic opportunity across King County How can King
County advance the "fair and just" principle in the
countywide strategic plan? What is the role of government in
promoting equity and economic opportunity? What barriers exist
for you and your community? The topic
for the current round of Countywide Community Forums is
"Creating equity and economic opportunity across King
County." The
Countywide Community Forums is an independently-run and funded
program overseen by the King County Auditor's Office. Watch the forums video on equity and economic opportunity
by clicking on the image below.
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Forum video |
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 For information about King County Equity & Social
Justice, contact:
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