Q&A
Discussion on delays in CORE commissioner appointments
1:32:43
·
3 min
Councilmember Williams and Linda Tigani discuss the delays in appointing commissioners to the Commission on Racial Equity (CORE) and the process of commissioners beginning their work.
- There is a nearly year-long delay in some commissioner appointments, with one vacancy still remaining
- The appointment process is handled by the Mayor's Office of Appointments, not CORE itself
- Newly appointed commissioners were able to begin work prior to public announcements
- CORE has the authority to fill a seat if it remains vacant for 90 days, but has chosen not to use this power for the inaugural appointments
Nantasha M. Williams
1:32:43
So the charter states that the first term for each member shall commence on August 1 2023.
1:32:49
Currently, there still remains 1 vacancy on the commission.
1:32:52
Although you've been very busy with lots of things.
1:32:55
I wanted to say that too.
1:32:56
You have worked very hard since you've been hired under a very racist bureaucracy.
1:33:03
So I Additionally, 2 appointees were own were only just announced on June 24 2024, while the remaining appointees were announced on May 13 2020 FOR?
1:33:14
WHAT ARE THE REASONS FOR THE NEARLY YEAR LONG DELAY IN COMMISSIONER APPOINTMENTS?
Linda Tigani
1:33:20
THANK YOU FOR THE QUESTION appointing bodies.
1:33:25
In this case, the 2 appointments that you're referring to are made by the mayor's office handled by the mayor's office of appointment, so I'd have to defer to them to better understand their timeline.
1:33:45
At this time, we are only waiting for 1 more commissioner.
1:33:50
We are hoping to be able to complete that process before the money equity priorities are finalized, which we expect to be finalized in the fall.
1:33:59
However, core is not a part of the appointment process.
1:34:04
So that timeline does sit with the mayor's office of appointments and mayor's team.
1:34:09
I'd recommend reaching out to them.
1:34:19
Yes.
1:34:19
So core is core is very unique in that we can use our authority to take a seat that has not been filled after 90 days, after doing some research and talking with folks that created the commission.
1:34:37
My understanding is that that authority was really intended if an appointment was not well, 1, not intended for the inaugural seats.
1:34:48
And if someone was not appointed sort of in the 2nd round of commissioners.
1:34:54
I did share with our commissioners that we do have that authority at this point in time, we have elected not to use it, and we may change the decision in the future.
1:35:07
However, we are currently still waiting for the mayor's team to appoint.
Nantasha M. Williams
1:35:21
Oh, I wasn't going this whole time.
1:35:24
Oh, gosh.
1:35:25
Sorry.
1:35:26
Yeah.
1:35:27
The public missed so many of the important things I said.
1:35:31
Were these newly appointed commissioners able to begin work prior to these public announcements?
Linda Tigani
1:35:36
Yes.
1:35:36
They were.
1:35:38
So in the first set, we received the controller's appointment first and the public advocates appointment, and they started once I received their information, I reach out to them.
1:35:49
And then we began to receive speaker and and mayor all appointments, we waited until May 13th to announce everyone that we had because we were they were trickling in over time.
1:36:03
And then called it on May 13th because we wanted to release the draft community equity priorities, and we wanted the public to know who is in the room, to help shape those priorities even though that they were draft.
1:36:16
I believe our of the last 2 commissioners appointed Amelkar and Wendy.
1:36:24
Amelkar was also able to start prior to her formal announcement.
1:36:29
Every when started after their appointment letters were issued, but there may there certainly was a little bit of time between when we publicly announced them and when they joined.