SNOHOMISH COUNTY—Snohomish County is among the top performers nationwide for advancing equity through its use of federal pandemic recovery funds, according to a recent independent report.
Snohomish County Executive Dave Somers welcomed a national report from The New School’s Institute on Race, Power and Political Economy, which found that Snohomish County is a “high performer” among the largest city and county governments assessed for advancing equity in pandemic relief and recovery efforts nationally.
“It was my top priority to ensure that our pandemic recovery efforts focus on equity and I am so proud to see our work recognized nationally,” said Snohomish County Executive Dave Somers. “We are showing that engaging diverse perspectives and centering the needs of those most marginalized by the pandemic can make a real difference in our community.”
The report, “Advancing Equity with the American Rescue Plan’s Local Recovery Funds,” assessed the 170 largest city and county governments in the United States and evaluated performance reports and spending data to measure equity performance across several areas, including overall equity focus, community engagement, and investment transparency and accountability. Snohomish County was identified as a top 20 jurisdiction among those assessed.
“Executive Somers made it clear from the outset that our recovery and resiliency work would be deeply rooted in equity and this report highlights the leadership role Snohomish County has played nationally,” said Kara Main-Hester, Ph.D, Chief Recovery and Resilience Officer for Snohomish County. “Our Recovery Roadshows were a vital tool for community engagement, and it is gratifying to see this work specifically highlighted as a national best practice.”
Snohomish County was identified as a leader in inclusive community engagement. The report describes the County’s “Recovery Roadshows” which were held at multiple locations throughout the county in 2022 to gather input on recovery priorities from diverse perspectives. Also mentioned were efforts to make these events inclusive by partnering with local food trucks to provide meals at the events, on-site children’s activities through partnerships with non-profit organizations, and Spanish language translation and interpretation to engage diverse audiences.
“We have more work to do to advance equity in Snohomish County. This report helps shine a light on the solid foundation that we have built through the American Rescue Plan Act,” said Wil Johnson, Snohomish County’s new Chief DEI Officer. “Moving forward, we have demonstrated the value of inclusive community engagement, we have raised the bar for ourselves, and we are showing the way for others.”
Nationally, the report notes that while most jurisdictions included equity as a goal, implementation was uneven. Meanwhile, Snohomish County was identified as a “high performer,” receiving high scores in each of the six major areas studied. The report found that 75 percent of the funds budgeted by Snohomish County were equity focused. The County has also committed to demonstrating that investments produce equitable and transparent outcomes by tracking program results on the publicly-accessible Recovery Dashboard.
Read the full report here.
Read the detailed assessment of Snohomish County here.
SOURCE: Snohomish County Government
Author: Lynnwood Times Staff
