Supervisors launch ’Office of Equity’

In an effort to address the disproportionate impact of COVID-19 on Latinx and indigenous communities, the Sonoma County Board of Supervisors has approved creation of an “Office of Equity.” Its origin follows years of county initiatives to address racial inequity and collaboration with local nonprofits and community leaders, according to a press release issued by the board.

The Office of Equity will work independently to identify county policies and practices that could result in racial disparities, and make recommendations to the board for closing those gaps. It will build infrastructure to ensure that policy decisions are evaluated through a “racial equity lens,” and provide leadership and vision for the development of more inclusive strategies. The office will be charged with “institutional change management around racial equity.”

“Recent natural disasters including the fires of 2017 and the COVID-19 pandemic have served to underscore the disproportionate challenges communities of color face on a daily basis,” said board chair Susan Gorin. “Meanwhile, we’re in the midst of a national awakening of the need to address social and racial inequities at all levels. The urgency is real. The time to show that this is a top priority is now.”

A key step toward more inclusive politics was taken in January, when the board committed to making “racial equity and social justice” one of the pillars of its revised Strategic Plan. County staff, including SoCo REAL (Sonoma County Racial Equity Alliance and Leadership), SoCo LERN (Sonoma County Latinx Employee Resource Network), and the Human Resources Department, reviewed different government models to elevate equity work within the county structure. Creation of an Office of Equity was also supported by the board’s Equity Office Ad Hoc Committee, which includes Supervisors Gorin and James Gore.

Modeled after similar offices in Seattle, San Francisco and Portland, the Sonoma County office will serve as the “backbone entity” to propel the county’s equity efforts forward and serve as the central hub to connect county departments.

The new office will be overseen by an Equity Officer, who will serve as a department head reporting to the Board of Supervisors. A qualified interim Equity Officer will be identified at the board’s July 14 meeting, and the search for permanent director will launch in August.