CITY OF SEATTLE
ORDINANCE __________________
COUNCIL BILL __________________
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AN ORDINANCE relating to the organization of the Office for Civil Rights; amending Section 3.14.910 of the Seattle Municipal Code to change the end of the Director's term and remove an outdated subsection requiring a racial equity toolkit.
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WHEREAS, the mission of the Seattle Office for Civil Rights (SOCR) is to end structural racism through accountable community relationships and anti-racist organizing, policy development, and civil rights enforcement; and
WHEREAS, in 2004, The City of Seattle ("City") launched a Race and Social Justice Initiative (RSJI), led by SOCR, to implement its longstanding commitments to social justice and ending racism; and
WHEREAS, the goal of RSJI is to end institutional racism within City government, working toward a vision where racial disparities will be eliminated and racial equity achieved; and
WHEREAS, concerns about the ability of SOCR to fulfill its mission while in the Executive branch resulted in Ordinance 125470, providing protections for the SOCR Director, including just cause for removal, and directing SOCR to conduct a Racial Equity Toolkit (RET) analysis on the permanent structure, leadership, duties, responsibilities, and functions of SOCR; and
WHEREAS, the team conducting the RET issued a report in October 2019, recommending a variety of actions to strengthen SOCR's independence and ability to successfully fulfill its mission; and
WHEREAS, since the RET analysis began, the City Council and Executive have taken steps towards implementing the recommendations, including adding staff and resources for increased outreach, commission support, and RSJI efforts; and
WHEREAS, though these steps have strengthened SOCR, the recent civil rights reckoning and related events of 2020 have made the need to enhance SOCR's ability to advocate for anti-racism in Seattle's government even more urgent; and
WHEREAS, during the 2021 budget, the Council p...
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