Q&A
Impact of delayed racial equity plans on the budget cycle
2:00:44
ยท
4 min
Linda Tigani discusses the potential impact of delayed racial equity plans on the current budget cycle. She emphasizes the importance of having these plans in place for informed decision-making and highlights the need for continued focus on racial equity in budgeting processes.
- The delay in releasing the preliminary racial equity plan leaves many unknowns in the budget process
- Tigani emphasizes the need to look at how agencies are shifting their internal budgets
- Without significant investment in racial equity and substantive budget discussions, desired changes may not be achieved
- The preliminary plan is meant to serve as a guide for the budget process
- Tigani highlights the importance of using racial equity impact assessment tools in decision-making
- She calls for more elected officials to step up for equity and use data to inform decisions
- The need for ongoing conversations and support for city council members to ask critical questions about funding is emphasized
Nantasha M. Williams
2:00:44
Thank you, Jen.
2:00:46
Just acknowledging hey mom and hey niece.
2:00:50
Hi.
2:00:54
This is my last question and once again you kind of mentioned it, so just wondering your opinion on the impact of the racial equity plans on the budget, this year's budget cycle given the delay, like if you feel like there would be any substantive impact to the budget because of the delay.
Linda Tigani
2:01:14
I would say for me it absolutely is an open question to assess what the impact is going to be.
2:01:19
I think not having the preliminary racial equity plan does leave a lot unknown, which is problematic.
2:01:27
I do want to just uplift Commissioner Sherman to just speak to what really new needs is a small percentage and we really should be looking at how are agencies shifting their internal budgets and that some of the work in the plan speaks to that.
2:01:45
Unfortunately, we don't know that yet.
2:01:47
What we do know is that without significant investment in racial equity, without a substantive conversation in the budget process by all city council members and city council finance, we're not going to see the change or the impact that we are expecting to see.
2:02:04
I think the preliminary plan is supposed to be a guide and so going into a budget process without a guide is concerning both from a government's perspective but also concerning for the public who have consistently raised the same challenges.
2:02:21
What I do want to also acknowledge is that there are racial equity impact assessment tools that are used in different parts of government.
2:02:30
And what we have learned seems to be the missing is that the results from the tools are not raised in the decision making conversations.
2:02:39
And so while
Nantasha M. Williams
2:02:41
I am a big proponent of this like most of the time and effort.
2:02:43
Again, I said that it was like my biggest issue is that you do all this work, it doesn't get implemented.
2:02:50
That's just the worst thing ever to me because it's just such a waste of time for government resources to do all this work for there to to be no change or implementation to me is just crazy.
Linda Tigani
2:03:01
Well, is again why I would say MOERJ is an important stronghold for New York City because there is a very critical component of technical assistance that is not only looking at data from a racial equity lens, using a racial impact tool to assess a policy, a proposed policy or legislation, it is also about how are we creating a process that allows for community voice and racial equity and social justice data to inform the actual decision and what support does city council need to be able to be courageous in those conversations and ask those questions.
2:03:47
Now more than ever is when we need more elected officials stepping up for equity and stepping up for using data for equity.
2:03:58
We know that there are racial equity planners across New York City as well as public servants across New York City that are committed to racial equity and social justice for all and they need us to have their back.
2:04:13
And so we do that in preliminary hearings but we also do that by holding agencies and the administration accountable by saying we will be looking to see when the plan is going to be released.
2:04:26
We will be looking to meet with MOERJ, take them up on their offer for a briefing, meet with CORE, take a look at our response, but also let's start to schedule some more conversations so that city council has the support that they need to ask the critical questions and make the hard decisions around funding so that we can actually see shifts in our investments, not only for the short term but also for the long term.
Nantasha M. Williams
2:05:00
Thank you.
2:05:01
It's why I'm holding this hearing because I'm very interested in this topic and I certainly think more now than ever we can't be afraid to speak the words and have the conversations and substantiate the words and the conversations and the questions with actual data that supports the work.
2:05:25
So I thank you so much for being here and again I thank you so much for the work that you do.
2:05:31
Thank you.
2:05:32
And now we will go to public testimony.