Report Highlights Current Efforts of Multiple County Agencies and Plans for Implementation

CUYAHOGA COUNTY, OH - The Cuyahoga County Internal Equity Commission has released its first Equity Report to the community.

When the County and County Council declared racism as a public health crisis, it was to focus efforts on the need to create systemic change and reduce disparities in areas such as healthcare, education, quality of life and economic mobility. The resolution declared, in part, that County Government must examine its own culture and practices. The County Equity Commission, which is staffed by the heads of several County agencies, began the work to examine current County policies and protocols, how they affect different populations, and how they can be improved and made more accessible.

The Equity Commission began its work with five pilot agencies and one board; these are:

 

• The Department of Health and Human Services
• The Department of Development · The Department of Public Works
• The Office of Procurement and Diversity
• The Department of Human Resources
• The Cleveland-Cuyahoga County Workforce Development Board

Each agency’s policies and programs were assessed with respect to their outcomes, analyzing data through a lens of racial equity. Through this assessment the Equity Commission established a long-term plan to improve how the County delivers services and programs with recommendations from each of the pilot agencies. This plan is broken down in detail in the 60-page report.

“The completion of this report is so important for the future of Cuyahoga County, how we provide services and who they impact,” said County Executive Armond Budish. “This work to create a more equitable county starts by looking at ourselves and how we conduct business and serve others. I look forward to implementing the plans for these agencies and the positive impact these changes will have. I am grateful for the members of our Equity Commission, who went beyond their day-to-day jobs and dedicated themselves to this critical and impactful work.”

Immediate actions taken to address structural racism include:

• Creation of an initial $500,000 Equity Fund that will fund key initiatives within County government.
• Implementation of all of the recommendations outlined in the 2020 Cuyahoga County Disparity Study. Release of Executive Orders to support the recommendations.
• Launch of County-wide Racial Equity training to improve the culture and awareness of County employees regarding racial disparities and definitions. This work will start immediately and will continue through 2021 until completed.
• County departments are directed to use Economic Health Indicators to help make decisions about where to deploy programs and initiatives.

“As co-chair, and on behalf of the Internal Equity Commission and Working Group, I am pleased to present this initial roadmap as a starting point for our collective work to collaboratively and intentionally create more inclusive and impactful County policies and programs for our residents, and culture for our employees,” said Chief Economic Development & Business Officer Ted Carter. “We look forward to working with CACE and the Working Group to prioritize and advance key recommendations that will transform our County government.”

The report can be viewed on the Equity Commission website.