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Q&A
Discussion on racial equity plans and their budget implications
2:18:29
ยท
145 sec
Council Member Williams inquires about the delayed release of racial equity plans and their impact on budget decisions. Director Jiha explains OMB's role and the administration's approach to equity in budgeting.
- Racial equity plans are 430 days overdue from their initial due date
- Williams asks if OMB plans to ensure agencies issue their mandatory reports on time
- Jiha clarifies that OMB doesn't control the release of the plans but reviews and approves them
- Williams emphasizes that racial equity plans should inform the city budget
- Jiha asserts that all resource allocation decisions are made with equity in mind
Nantasha Williams
2:18:29
If you could share why such a stark difference in the budgeted headcount, and this is what I'm really important what I'm really passionate about and and really important is the racial equity plans that are quite, overdue set to release 01/16/2024, and now it's four hundred and thirty days late.
2:18:49
Does ONB plan to ensure that agencies issue their mandatory reports on time?
2:18:55
And all city agencies, with the racial equity plan can only compile the racial equity plans of all city agencies, and send them to the council.
2:19:08
So it appears that there might be some racial equity plans that you all have internally that you have not released.
2:19:14
So the request is would you be able to send them to the council?
2:19:18
And, is your office adjusting your budget based off of the racial equity plans that the agencies have submitted?
Jacques Jiha
2:19:29
OMB, we don't control the release of the plan.
2:19:33
It's something that we have to discuss with the commissioner and CDO.
2:19:38
We review the plan.
2:19:39
We give them, I believe, our approval.
2:19:41
Joe, is it?
2:19:42
We give them our approval in terms of what was in the plan, but everything else is not up to us.
Nantasha Williams
2:19:50
Okay.
2:19:50
The only thing I just wanna leave with is that a part of the racial equity plan is to look at the bed budget to ensure equity.
2:19:58
And so I get what you're saying.
2:20:00
Your office is not responsible for releasing the racial equity plans, but the goal of the racial equity plans is to inform the city budget.
2:20:08
And so while you're not responsible for it, the question really is, like, how are you going to ensure that your office is looking at the racial equity plans with a lens of equity when you go to craft this exact budget?
Jacques Jiha
2:20:24
Yeah.
2:20:24
Yeah.
2:20:24
Every decision that the mayor makes with respect to resource allocation is made in the context of equity.
2:20:32
We always look at things from an equity perspective.
2:20:35
So again, we will review the plan when the plan comes out.
2:20:40
We already had insight into what was in the plan.
2:20:45
We'll review the plan when it comes out, and we'll discuss with the agencies what needs to be done.
Nantasha Williams
2:20:51
Okay.
2:20:52
Thank you, chair, and thank you.