Key recommendations from a\u00a0recently released Racial Equity and Social Justice Taskforce report<\/a> were notably missing from Akron’s upcoming 2022 operational budget, sparking concern from task force members about the city’s commitment to address\u00a0racism as a public health crisis.\u00a0<\/p>\n \u201cI know it\u2019s long-haul work, but you have to start making moves now,\u201d said Robert DeJournett,\u00a0who served on the task force and works as the vice president of opportunity and inclusion at the Greater Akron Chamber. \u201cOur community needs to feel like the city is taking this really seriously.\u201d<\/p>\n The report<\/a>, released this month by a task force of 29 community members convened by the city, outlined a five-year\u00a0strategic plan to promote equity and opportunity for Akron\u2019s communities of color and other marginalized groups. City officials say they have already begun to enact some of the task force’s\u00a0early recommendations, but the group issued its final report \u2014 including requests that would involve\u00a0significant spending \u2014 just prior to the 2022 budget presentation.<\/p>\n\n After more than a year of research and community engagement, the group made recommendations with both short- and long-term goals, beginning with changes it said should be implemented this year.<\/p>\n “We purposefully staggered the\u00a0recommendations year over year,” said Curtis Minter, co-chair of the task force’s executive committee. “Our hope is those would be taken seriously and be integrated into the operating budget for this fiscal year. Our work by no means is finished; we have the capacity to execute, but not without accountability.”<\/p>\n One of the top priorities outlined in the report was the creation of an office of equity led by a full-time position within the mayor\u2019s Cabinet. The recommendation had been made by two separate subcommittees \u2014 communications and workforce development \u2014 in a previous quarterly report.<\/p>\n \u201cEstablishing an office of equity was our subcommittee\u2019s No. 1 recommendation,\u201d said Carla Davis, the communication subcommittee\u2019s co-chair. \u201cWe recognized early on that there needed to be someone to drive these initiatives the task force is proposing.\u201d<\/p>\n But the 2022 operational budget proposal, which was presented over four consecutive days last week to Akron City Council, excluded that and other notable recommendations that task force members were hoping would be implemented this year.<\/p>\n\n \u201cIf there is no one shepherding the process and making sure it stays on the forefront, my concern is these recommendations will be pushed to the back burner,\u201d Davis said.\u00a0<\/p>\n At Tuesday\u2019s budget hearing, Ward 8 Councilman Shammas Malik pressed city officials about the exclusion of recommendations outlined by the task force in the budget hearings.<\/p>\n In particular, Malik questioned the lack of budgeting for a proposed deputy mayor for racial equity and social justice, as well as a support staff for that position.\u00a0<\/p>\n Gert Wilms, Mayor Dan Horrigan’s chief of staff, said\u00a0the city is \u201cnot in the position to have any kind of movement on that at this time\u201d because of the recent release date of the report, which was submitted earlier this month. The city has not yet submitted its response to the report, which will outline which policy recommendations it plans to undertake immediately in the first year and which will be addressed at a later date.<\/p>\n\n \u201cWe will definitely take a look at that, make some determinations on what we can implement, what we cannot implement, what can happen this year, what we need to put off, but it\u2019s just too premature based on how quick we got that report to make any kind of promise or dedication at this point,\u201d Wilms said at the hearing.<\/p>\n Malik pointed out that some of those recommendations, such as the Cabinet position, were presented months before the final report was released. He said even if all the details aren\u2019t fully ironed out, it\u2019s important to carve out spending dollars and the number of budgeted positions.<\/p>\n \u201cI really think we should have a sense of urgency around this and make sure that we don\u2019t drop the baton in terms of implementing this,\u201d Malik said. \u201cThat role and the support staff is going to be absolutely critical to implementing the dozens of recommendations.\u201d<\/p>\n Wilms said the city already has staff and programs addressing equity and inclusion; it’s just a matter of \u201cmarrying that up\u201d with the recommendations, renaming positions and realigning goals.<\/p>\n \u201cI appreciate that there is a lot of work that\u2019s ongoing, but \u2026 one thing that really came strongly out of those committees was someone who should be only focusing on that so we can move these forward,\u201d Malik responded.<\/p>\n Wilms told the Beacon Journal that with the promotion of Tamiyka Rose to deputy chief of staff<\/a>, she will be responsible for overseeing many of the recommendations. Rose has worked closely with the task force throughout the process.<\/p>\n\n Additionally, Wilms said, the city has already implemented a “lot of things” in the report, including the recent hire\u00a0of a\u00a0youth and community opportunity director<\/a>. Horrigan has made an offer to a policy adviser to assist with these issues as well, Wilms said.<\/p>\n Several recommendations in the report\u00a0do not require the use of city funds and may still be implemented this year once officials have had time to assess them,\u00a0said a spokesperson for the city.<\/p>\n Some police reform recommendations missing<\/span><\/p>\n Malik also pressed the mayor\u2019s office about the creation of a deputy police auditor role, which was recommended last January<\/a>.<\/p>\n![\"Robert](\"https:\/\/www.gannett-cdn.com\/presto\/2020\/10\/22\/NABJ\/479c9302-e7b9-4702-a7c6-319ab636a84d-2007_Red_pic.JPG?crop=363,501,x91,y0&width=300&height=415&format=pjpg&auto=webp\")
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<\/figure>\nCity says it hasn\u2019t had time to assess proposals<\/span><\/h2>\n
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![\"Torey](\"https:\/\/www.gannett-cdn.com\/presto\/2022\/03\/18\/NABJ\/b75d1eb9-44bc-4d6b-817b-8a619697eb46-ToreyT.jpg?width=300&height=325&fit=crop&format=pjpg&auto=webp\")
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