On March 15th, our council reviewed the 2021- 2022 strategic goals. We discussed my proposal to form a task force to address equity and diversity on City Boards and Commissions. Diverse and representative leadership can help bridge the level of community engagement we want to see across all our initiatives.
We discussed the potential size and composition of the task force and I recommended 12 to 15 stakeholders from schools, faith, neighborhoods, core service agencies and businesses that bring together people from all over the community. This is a real opportunity for us to be custodians of community relationships, which need maintenance and nurturing over the long haul. [Read Article]
Representation Matters
The 2017 Commissioner Demographic Survey in San Mateo presented the following key findings:
A smaller proportion of people of color and people who speak a foreign language served on San Mateo’s commissions as compared to the City’s general population.
Seniors and higher income households were over-represented on commissions as compared to the general population, and there was zero representation for young adults under 25 years.
Only 1 in 10 commissioners were renters, while nearly half of the City’s housing units are rentals.
