ordinance no. _______, series 2021
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AN ORDINANCE AMENDING LOUISVILLE METRO CODE OF ORDINANCES TO REQUIRE AN EQUITY REVIEW FOR EACH DEPARTMENTAL BUDGET PROPOSAL THAT PROVIDES METRO COUNCIL WITH A HOLISTIC ASSESSMENT OF HOW EQUITY IS PRIORITIZED AND ADDRESSED WITHIN DEPARTMENT BUDGETS (AMENDMENT BY SUBSTITUTION).
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SPONSORED BY: COUNCIL MEMBER DORSEY, arthur, shanklin, and president james
WHEREAS, Louisville Metro Government is committed to advancing racial equity;
WHEREAS, African Americans, immigrants, and others-have built this city, shaped its culture, and made significant contributions to the economy;
WHEREAS, decades of systemic racism have created barriers that block African Americans from homeownership, job opportunities, quality education, and health care, and are still evident today in our affordable housing challenges, income disparities, distressing educational differences, and health outcomes;
WHEREAS, prosperity is not reaching many lower-income, African American, long-time residents, and the rising cost of living means that many cannot afford to stay here;
WHEREAS, the budget presents an opportunity each year to work toward our shared responsibility to right these wrongs and shift Louisville further towards an equitable future;
WHEREAS, budgets have the power to help us create a future where no resident has to choose between paying rent and other necessities; where all students, regardless of their family’s income and the part of the city they live in, have the resources they need to succeed; where public safety emphasizes prevention over criminalization; and where all residents have access to quality, affordable health care.
NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT ORDAINED BY THE LEGISLATIVE COUNCIL OF THE LOUISVILLE/JEFFERSON COUNTY METRO GOVERNMENT AS FOLLOWS:
SECTION I: Louisville Metro Code of Ordinances (“LMCO”) Chapter 30 is hereby amended as follows:
§ 30.03 BUDGET.
A. KRS 91A.030 grants the Mayor the responsibility to prepare and submit an annual budget proposal to Louisville Metro Council for approval in the form and detail prescribed by ordinance. The Mayor shall present Louisville Metro Council with the annual budget proposal no later than Louisville Metro Council's second meeting scheduled in the month of April prior to the beginning of the fiscal year.
B. Equity Impact Assessments
1. Definitions. For the purpose of this section, the following definitions shall apply:
EQUITY. When race can no longer be used to predict life outcomes and the outcomes for all groups are improved.
EQUITY VISION STATEMENT. An inspirational statement of the Department’s idealistic future for equity meant to inform others on what the Department believes, how it will behave, and what types of decisions it will make in the future.
EQUITY GOALS. The condition aimed to achieve in the community and within Louisville Metro Government to attain the outcome of the established Equity Vision.
SMART FRAMEWORK. A tool used to plan and achieve goals using the following elements- Specific, Measurable, Achievable, Relevant and Time-based. Each element of the SMART Framework works together to create a goal that is carefully planned, clear and trackable.
KEY PERFORMANCE INDICATORS. Set of quantifiable measurements used to gauge overall long-term performance. Key Performance Indicators are the critical indicators of progress toward an intended result and include points of measurements such as input, output, activity, mechanism, control and/or time.
INPUT. Inputs indicate the inputs required of an activity to product an output.
OUTPUT. Outputs capture the outcome or results of an activity or group of activities.
ACTIVITY. Activity indicates the transformation produced by an activity. (i.e., some form of work).
MECHANISM. Mechanism is something that enables an activity to work (a performer), either human or system.
CONTROL. Control is an object that controls the activity’s production through compliance.
TIME. Time indicates a temporal element of the activity.
2. The Louisville Metro Council requests the implementation and utilization of Louisville Metro’s Racial Equity Assessment tools developed by the Louisville Center for Health Equity for each Louisville Metro Department to use in order to determine whether budget requests and annual allocations benefit or burden communities, and or persons or populations, who have historically suffered under and been impacted by discriminatory practices, policies and procedures at the local, state and national levels including, but not limited to, discriminatory zoning, taxation, subsidies, and explicit redlining.
3. Using the information in the Racial Equity Assessment toolkit or Racial Equity Impact Assessment Worksheet or any subsequent equity tool adopted and or developed within Louisville Metro that advances this city’s pursuit of equity and justice, an equity impact statement shall be completed by each Louisville Metro Department and accompany each departmental budget at the time of the Mayor’s Budget Address to Metro Council beginning with fiscal year 2021/2022 and each fiscal year thereafter.
4. a. Each Department’s equity impact statement, at the minimum, shall include the following:
1) The Department’s Equity Vision Statement;
2) The Departments Equity Goals using SMART framework or a framework that provides an equivalent or greater benefit; and
3) The Department’s Equity Key Performance Indicators
b. Starting with fiscal year 2022/2023, and each fiscal year thereafter, any changes to a Department’s Equity Vision Statement shall be denoted as a change in that Department’s subsequent proposed budget. Any changes to a Department’s Equity Goals or Key Performance Indicators for the next fiscal year shall be denoted as a change in the subsequent proposed budget. Any changes to a Department’s Equity Goals or Key Performance Indicators that occur within a fiscal year shall require official notice to the Louisville Metro Council Budget Committee.
c. A Department’s ability or inability to achieve the Equity Goals and/or perform pursuant to Section 4.1 (b) and (c) for the current or previous budget year shall be denoted on that Department’s subsequent proposed budget.
5. Each Department’s equity framework and impact statement shall be reviewed for adherence, cohesion and consistency by the Chief Equity Officer or a mayoral designee. The Chief Equity Officer or mayoral designee shall be the point of contact and provide oversight to ensure adherence to the SMART Goal framework and Key Performance Indicators as measurement tools.
6. Starting with fiscal year 2022/2023, and each fiscal year thereafter, each Department shall expand the minimum equity impact statement to include specific dollar amounts from the budget as a measure of expenses, savings or revenue generated.
SECTION II: This Ordinance shall take effect upon its passage and approval.
_________________________________ ______________________________
Sonya Harward David James
Metro Council Clerk President of the Council
__________________________________ ______________________________
Greg Fischer Approval Date
Mayor
Approved as to form and legality:
Michael J. O’Connell
Jefferson County Attorney
BY: _________________________________
O-596-20 CABS Creating an Equity Budget Assessment