Item 09 2024-01004 Update Development & Pilot Application of (BERG T) Office of Innovation & Economic Development, FD, Convention & Cultural Services Department Budget Reductions

City of Sacramento
City Council - 2PM Report
915 I Street Sacramento, CA 95814
www.cityofsacramento.org
File ID: 2024-01004 5/14/2024 Discussion Item 9.

Update on Development and Pilot Application of a Budget Equity Resource Guide and Tool (BERG/T) on the Office of Innovation and Economic Development, Fire Department, and Convention and Cultural Services Department Budget Reductions File ID: 2024-01004
Location: Citywide
Recommendation: Receive and file.

Contact: Aimée Zenzele Barnes, Diversity & Equity Manager, (916) 808-1174, [email protected], Human Resources Department Presenter: Aimée Zenzele Barnes, Diversity & Equity Manager, (916) 808-1174, [email protected], Department of Human Resources; Megan Van Voorhis, Director of Convention & Cultural Services, (916) 808-5979, [email protected], Department of Convention & Cultural Services; Denise Malvetti, Deputy Director, (916) 808-7064, [email protected], City Manager’s Office of Innovation and Economic Development Attachments:
1-Description/Analysis
2-Budget Equity Resource Guide and Tool
3-GFOA-Cutting the Operating Budget Resource-April 2021 4-BERG.T Presentation 5.14.24
5-CCS Budget Equity Resource Guide and Tool
6-OIED Budget Equity Resource Guide and Tool - Programs 7-OIED Budget Equity Resource Guide and Tool - Staffing 8-SacFD Budget Equity Resource Guide and Tool - DOR
9-SacFD Budget Equity Resource Guide and Tool - Single Role 10-SacFD Budget Equity Resource Guide and Tool - Suppression Description/Analysis
Issue Detail: The Human Resources Office of Diversity & Equity and additional City staff will provide an update on the development and application of the Budget Equity Resource Guide and Tool (BERG/T) developed at the direction of the Racial Equity Committee (REC) on January 30, 2024.

Adapted from the Government Finance Officers Association (GFOA) April 2021 Cutting the Operating

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File ID: 2024-01004 5/14/2024 Discussion Item 9.

Budget and Instituting an Equitable Decision-Making Report (Attachment 3), the BERG/T is a decision support approach which helps staff understand the impacts of potential budget reductions.

The approach uses data to identify unintentional adverse impacts on underserved groups or neighborhoods.

The BERG/T was applied to parts of the Fire Department, Office of Innovation & Economic Development, and Convention & Cultural Services Department proposed budget reductions. City staff from these teams will share how they utilized the BERG/T and any recommendations or insights from the process. Staff will share examples from the BERG/T pilot project as well as a demonstration of the Sacramento Equity Explore Design GIS Tool (SEED) tool as shared with the REC on April 30, 2024.

Background: Fiscal Year (FY) 2024/25 Budget Balancing Strategies To address the $66 million structural imbalance currently projected in the City’s General/ Measure U (G/MU) Fund for FY 2024/25, the City Manager directed departments under the purview of the City Manager to prepare a reduction plan of up to 15 percent of the departments’ net G/MU Fund reliance in the FY 2023/24 Approved Budget. A combination of 246 revenue enhancements and expenditure reductions that were reviewed, categorized, and finalized by the City Manager’s Executive Team was presented to the Budget and Audit Committee Meeting on April 9, 2024.

In addition, City staff conducted a community survey to receive input on public budget priorities and held three community meetings across the City to inform the public of the City’s budget deficit, answer questions, and receive feedback. From February 27, 2024, through March 24, 2024, a nine- question survey regarding budget priorities and potential reduction strategies was open to the public via the City’s website. The survey was translated into five languages (Spanish, Hmong, Vietnamese, Chinese and Dari). The results were presented at the Budget and Audit Committee Meeting on April 9, 2024.

Policy Considerations: This report is consistent with the Racial Equity Committee’s direction to keep informed on the pilot application of a racial equity lens on the discrete parts of the City budget for FY 2024/25.

Economic Impacts: Not applicable.

Environmental Considerations: Not applicable.

Sustainability: Not applicable.

Commission/Committee Action: During the April 2, 2024 REC meeting, members asked for the SEED GIS tool to be updated to include heat maps with available data to better inform budget decisions. This update was completed by the GIS team and presented at the April 30 REC meeting.

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File ID: 2024-01004 5/14/2024 Discussion Item 9.

At that meeting members asked that an equity analysis be included in the budget process going forward. It is important to note that in reviewing examples from how other Cities across the Country have implemented similar processes, best practices have a phased, multi-year approach, that includes training and capacity-building for staff.

Rationale for Recommendation: Staff is providing an update to the entire Council on the pilot work directed and received by the REC relative to an equity review of budget proposals.

Financial Considerations: None.

Local Business Enterprise (LBE): Not applicable.

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1 BUDGET EQUITY RESOURCE GUIDE & TOOL
As you move through this budget equity tool, you will be asked to identify your budget classification and impact levels (mandatory, discretionary, impact level 1-4). Please use this information and proposed reductions as approved by the City Manager to answer any related questions in this tool.

How did you approach this process? What methodology did you use while considering budget cuts?

Section 1: Goal Setting, Budget Classification, & Project Outcomes To get started, identify goals and project outcomes of the service or project being reduced or cut. Consider explaining how your service or project connects to the City’s goals and helps to define the potential reduction/cut’s impact on different communities.

Purpose of Budget Reductions

1. Name or Group of Reductions (tie to BCP numbers or totals). If grouped, please share which BCPs and why they are grouped together:

2. What type of program is this? (Mandated, Discretionary):

3. What is the level of impact? (1-4):

4. Brief Description of Reduction:

2 5. Department(s) Involved:

6. Type of Program or Service the budget expense is for:

7. How did you apply your approach to this BCP?

8. What problem or challenge is the Program or Service trying to solve?

9. What are the desired program or service outcomes?
Equity Opportunity Areas
Equity Opportunity Areas are examples of potential equity impacts that were developed by engaging community members. Consider taking this thinking into all follow-up tasks to ensure you are centering the equity opportunities you identified.

Which equity opportunity area(s) will this primarily impact? Select all that apply.

Community Access
☐ Access to public spaces (e.g. Libraries,
centers, parks)
☐ Access to public transportation
☐ Access to broadband internet
☐ Access to information in different
languages
☐ Access to information in different
auditory/visual formats
☐ Access to emergency services for
frontline communities
☐ Access to community involvement in
planning

Human/Social Services
☐ Impact on services for Sacramento
residents
☐ Disproportionate distribution of
resources to frontline communities
☐ Disruption of services to frontline
communities
☐ Impact on social services provided by
religious non-profit organizations
Mobility
☐ Those unable to afford transportation
costs
☐ Flooding of critical road networks
☐ Mobility limitations during heat
waves/storms
3 Food
☐ Food insecurity
☐ Malnutrition and chronic health
disparities
Public Health
☐ Physical and mental health concerns
☐ Air pollution
☐ Water quality
☐ Unfair siting of infrastructure like
landfills, trash incinerators, wind turbines,
and solar panels
☐ Exacerbating disparities from COVID-19
Cultural Impacts
☐ Loss of important cultural sites
☐ Disruption of cultural practices (in
general)
☐ Loss of culture and spirituality involving
Sacramento cultural sites and/or practices

Housing
☐ Ability to afford disaster preparation and
recovery
☐ Ability to afford relocation costs
☐ Increased housing costs
☐ Homeless/houseless communities
☐ Un-insured or under-insured community
members to potential damages
Economic Considerations
☐ Loss of jobs/unemployment
☐ Economic recovery
☐ Economic stability
Livability/Cost of Living
☐ High utility costs
☐ Ability to afford HVAC
☐ Unequal energy burden
☐ Those unable to afford living costs
Other (Please fill in your own)
☐
☐
☐
☐
4 How does the reduction in the program or service outcomes relate to the selected equity opportunity areas?

Section 2: Service Impacts
A spending cut could reduce the quality of service that the City delivers. Collecting data allows you to identify synergies with existing work and unearth opportunities to reduce the perpetuation of historical and present injustice faced by certain communities. Explore the potential impacts of spending cuts by identifying demographics of community members.

What is the potential for reduced access to services? Will the quality be measurably lower? Ex: This includes fewer places to receive service, fewer hours of service delivered, fewer employees to provide a service or longer response times existing programs or policies are working to achieve the same outcomes of this project?

5 Impacts By Demographics
Identify the demographics of residents who may be impacted by the service or program reduction.

6 Section 3: Location Impacts
This section is designed to help understand the geographic character of budget cuts and their potential impacts on vulnerable and already underserved neighborhoods and communities.

Please fill out only those that apply.

List any specific geographic areas your program or service impacts below.

Examples: Districts, Opportunity/Promise Zones, Neighborhoods, Service Districts

Program or Service Geography: Citywide
Examples include internal services like IT, HR, and Fleet management and citywide elected officials. Services that are “geography neutral” usually pose the least risk to equity but could still serve a vulnerable population.

If this is a program or service provided to the entire city with little variance by neighborhood, could vulnerable populations be hurt by the cut?

7 Program or Service from a Central Location
Examples include building construction plan review and many kinds of licensing. In this case, equity would depend on who the careholders of this service are. For example, for a given type of license, would a decreased level of service adversely impact any of the equity considerations from our definition of equity?
If the program or service is delivered from a central location and available to the community at- large, but is more commonly used by specific segments of the community, are those segments a vulnerable population?

Mobile Program or Service
These are services where the staff are mobile and focused on specific neighborhoods.

Examples include EMS units, code enforcement, road patching crews, and litter abatement teams. Cuts in these services could also pose greater risks of inequitable impact.

If this is a mobile program or service that serves a specific community or specific neighborhoods, are those neighborhoods vulnerable?

8 Program or Service from a Fixed Site
These are programs or services delivered at locations distributed throughout the city with a service population local to the site. Examples include recreations centers, public parks, and fire stations. These services pose greater risk of inequitable impact.

If this is a program or service delivered at locations distributed throughout the city with a service population local to the site, are the populations served vulnerable?

9 Section 4: Re-Evaluating Key Impacts
Recall the purpose of the program or service budget expense from Step #1 and the budget classification including impact level (1-4).

Do you have a better idea of how neighborhoods and/or populations will benefit and how they will benefit?

Do you have a better idea of how neighborhoods and/or populations will be negatively impacted and how they will be impacted?

10 Advancing Equity in FY ’24-‘25
Offer a brief description of the programs and services that are proposed for funding in the FY ’24-’25 budget that advance equity:

11 GLOSSARY OF TERMS
As you reflect on and respond to the questions relating to the Budgeting for Equity Tool, please refer to the definitions provided below.

Additional Terms & Definitions
Accessibility: The design, construction, development, and maintenance of facilities, information and communication technology, programs, and services so that all people, including people with disabilities, can fully and independently use them. Accessibility includes the provision of accommodations and modifications to ensure equal access to employment and participation in activities for people with disabilities, the reduction or elimination of physical and attitudinal barriers to equitable opportunities, a commitment to ensuring that people with disabilities can independently access every outward-facing and internal activity or electronic space, and the pursuit of best practices such as universal design. (Source )
Anti-racist: An anti-racist is someone who is supporting an antiracist policy through their actions or expressing antiracist ideas. This includes the expression of ideas that racial groups are equals and do not need developing, and supporting policies that reduce racial inequity.

Benefit: An advantage or profit gained from the implementation of a service policy, program, or initiative.

Black, Indigenous, People of Color (BIPOC): ‘Black, Indigenous, People of Color,’ is meant to unite all people of color in the work for liberation while intentionally acknowledging that not all people of color face the same levels of injustice. By specifically naming Black and Indigenous people we are recognizing that Black and Indigenous people face the worst consequences of systemic white supremacy, classism and settler colonialism (Source )
Burden: To give someone an unequal, overwhelming share of an undesirable, unpleasant or difficult factor; typically associated with causing inequitable outcomes.

Intersectionality: Per Kimberlé Williams Crenshaw, intersectionality is simply a prism to see the interactive effects of various forms of discrimination and disempowerment. It looks at the way that racism, many times, interacts with patriarchy, heterosexism, classism, xenophobia — seeing that the overlapping vulnerabilities created by these systems actually create specific kinds of challenges. “Intersectionality 102,” then, is to say that these distinct problems create challenges for movements that are only organized around these problems as separate and individual. So, when racial justice doesn’t have a critique of patriarchy and homophobia, the particular way that racism is experienced and exacerbated by heterosexism, classism etc., falls outside of our political organizing. It means that significant numbers of people in our communities aren’t being served by social justice frames because they don’t address the particular ways that they’re experiencing discrimination.

13 Privilege: Unearned social power accorded by the formal and informal institutions of society to ALL members of a dominant group (e.g. white privilege, male privilege, etc.). Privilege is usually invisible to those who have it because we’re taught not to see it, but nevertheless it puts them at an advantage over those who do not have it. A systemic valuing, favoring or enhancing that only certain populations benefit from based on the group of which they are a part. (Adapted from source and source)
Race: A social construct that categorizes individuals based on their physical characteristics, particularly skin and hair texture, and not an actual biological fact. (Source) Racial Equity: A situation that is achieved when people are thriving and race no longer statistically dictates, determines or predicts one’s social outcomes or ability to thrive. (Source) The City of Sacramento affirms racial equity as a core value in which race does not affect life outcomes. We acknowledge historical racial inequities and are committed to transparent, deliberate, and actionable solutions that will remedy those inequities and serve all our diverse communities. (
Source)
Racial Equity Accountability: In the context of racial equity work, accountability refers to the ways in which individuals and communities hold themselves to their goals and actions and acknowledge the values and groups to which they are responsible. To be accountable, one must be visible, with a transparent agenda and process. Accountability demands commitment. From a relational point of view, accountability is not always doing it right. Sometimes it’s really about what happens after it’s done wrong. (Source
)
Social Vulnerability Index (SVI) Map: SVI - developed by the Center for Disease Control and Prevention's Agency for Toxic Substance and Disease Registry (ATSDR) - uses U.S. Census data to determine the social vulnerability of every Census tract to help public health officials and emergency response partners identify and map the communities that will most likely need support before, during, and after a hazardous event. The SVI ranks each tract on 16 social factors, four related themes, and provides an overall ranking. This map provides information related to the 16 social factors, maps the four SVI themes and overall ranking. (Source )

CUTTING THE

OPERATING BUDGET

AND INSTITUTING AN

EQUITABLE DECISION-MAKING

ENVIRONMENT AMIDST A

FISCAL CRISIS

CITY BUDGETING FOR EQUITY & RECOVERY

CITY BUDGETING FOR EQUITY & RECOVERY
Launched by Bloomberg Philanthropies in 201 5, What Works Cities helps local governments across the country drive progress in their cities through the effective use of data and evidence to tackle pressing challenges that affect their communities. The City Budgeting for Equity and Recovery program is a new effort that helps U.S. cities confront budget crises while strengthening their commitment to equity in the wake of COVID-1 9.

This What Works Cities City Budgeting for Equity and
Recovery resource is a collaboration among the following organizations and institutions:
3 The Problem
The COVID-1 9 pandemic has had an undeniable financial impact on local governments.

According to surveys conducted by the Government Finance Officers Association (GFOA), in mid-2020 about 70 percent of cities expected to experience a shortfall in their budget despite state and/or federal aid. Larger local governments were more likely to expect a shortfall than smaller local governments. While recent infusions of funding from the Federal government provides some welcome relief, it does not mean local governments can go back to “business as usual”. This is because federal funding is temporary but financial challenges wrought by the pandemic may be further reaching for many governments.

Further, federal funding may not necessarily be a dollar-for-dollar replacement for everything a government has lost. Federal funding does, however, provide some breathing room to think more strategically about finances, including the equity impact of budget decisions.

The often unavoidable response to budget shortfalls is to cut back on spending.

The conventional approach to cutting back spending has been the “across-the-board” cut, which applies cuts equally to all areas of service. This approach has been popular because it is simple and is perceived as “fair” to those that have to implement the cuts – oftentimes department managers.

Across the board cuts, however, might have an inequitable impact on the different communities that local governments serve. Often, those that feel the consequences of the cuts the most are a city’s most vulnerable, under-represented groups and communities of color. Some people and neighborhoods have the means to weather the impact of a cutback in
government services, while others don’t.

The City of Toledo, Ohio, has recognized the risks posed by across the board cuts. To take a simple example, the City recognized that reducing the resources spent on cutting the grass in public areas would contribute to blight – and that the neighborhoods most vulnerable to blight would be the City’s lower-income areas. Another example might be cutting summer camps, the effect of which would be felt more acutely in a working class neighborhood where replacing the service that such a program provides might be harder for some parents.

Cities need a more nuanced view of how to cut budgets fairly.

Applying an equity lens to budget cuts can help cities reduce budgets to an affordable amount for the city while minimizing harm to vulnerable members of the community. In fact, severe financial difficulties often present an opportunity to rethink traditional approaches to public finance. Applying an equity lens can be just such an opportunity.

EXAMPLE IN ACTION
Toledo has found that using data to assess
the community’s and organization’s needs
can be an effective way to home in on the
City’s highest priorities when identifying
potential budget cuts. After identifying
its highest priorities, the City used data
to identify unintentional adverse impacts
on certain groups or underserved
neighborhoods. This has allowed the City
to be proactive in identifying cost saving
measures or partnership opportunities to
address community needs.

This resource provides guidance on
how cities can apply the equity lens
to budget cuts.1
1 The ideas that appear in this article were inspired by the many different people and organizations that are working on bringing an equity perspective to bud- geting, including: Government Alliance on Race and Equity (GARE – see “ Advancing Racial Equity and Transforming Government Action”), local governments that are working on this issue, and other experts on local government budgeting, notably PFM. 4 Recognize Where Inequity Exists
The first step is to recognize where inequity exists. There will be differences in access to opportunity and well-being between different groups of people and between different neighborhoods. Budget cuts could exacerbate these disparities. For example, in many communities, race is predictive of public health outcomes like infant mortality, life expectancy, and incidence of chronic illness (e.g., diabetes). A city government should identify specific population segmentations (e.g., low income, historically disadvantaged groups, etc.) for analyzing equity.

Even if a local government cannot perform a rigorous statistical analysis on inequities, trends can be seen in data collected by outside entities (e.g., US Census Bureau or a state health department). And, statistical cases should be complemented by stories.

Narratives, not numbers, are often more influential in decision-making, so the numbers should be brought to life with stories.

Finally, it should be noted that low-income communities historically have had reason to mistrust the government. As a result, they may not always call in for service.

Hence, when considering equity and using data, cities should assess the geography of complaints and feedback. If there is under-representation in certain communities, particularly those that lack investment from the City, the local government may want to reach out to those communities, listen to their concerns, ensure their needs are being met and be more proactive in providing services to those areas (rather than reactive).

Grass cutting can be an expensive operation
depending on the weather. A few years ago,
Toledo had a record amount of rain that made it
difficult for the City to maintain their grass cutting
operation within budget. The City’s response was
to use micro-enterprise vendors and create bid
packages by geography and type of property.

The packages included thoroughfares as well as
nuisance residential and commercial properties.

The City saved money by having a vendor regularly
cutting properties before the grass was too high
and was able to increase minority-owned business
participation.

This year, the City is monitoring the warmer
temperatures that may lead to increased rain. If the
City has to consider scaling back grass operations,
it will take into consideration that neighborhoods
with high vacancy and crime rates may need to
be prioritized to deter dumping and other illegal
activity in those communities.
5 Defining “Equity”
Next, a city should define what “equity” means. To illustrate, the City of Charlotte, North Carolina has defined equity as “the fair treatment, access, opportunity and advancement for all people, while at the same time striving to identify and eliminate barriers that have prevented the full participation of some groups.” Groups that Charlotte has identified as the focus for its equity lens include people of color and low- income communities.

Defining equity will help local governments evaluate potential budget cuts from the perspective of which cuts could work against equity. There are two perspectives on impact to the public that a potential budget cut could be evaluated from. Let’s explore each perspective below. Each perspective comes with a series of questions that a city can ask about any given proposed budget cut in order to help evaluate equity impacts.2 Perspective #1: Service Impact
A spending cut could reduce the quality of service that a government delivers. Cities might consider the following questions:

What is the potential for reduced access to services?
This includes fewer places to receive service, fewer hours of service delivered, fewer employees to provide a service or longer response times.

Examples: Closing a fire station results in higher response times…reducing branch library hours makes it harder for residents to use it after hours…closing one recreation facility causes residents to have to walk or drive farther to use another facility…reducing customer service representatives increases the wait time for service at walk-up counters. 2 These two perspectives were originally drawn from the author and members of PFM, who took inspiration from GARE, the Urban Institute and others. Hence, the two perspectives should not be taken as an original idea of the author, but rather as the product of the many people who have been working on the role of budgeting and equity.

6 What is the potential for reduced quality of service? Residents can still access service, but the quality of service is measurably lower or does not meet resident expectations.

Examples: A city purchases cheaper vehicles that have shorter useful lives, are less energy efficient or are more susceptible to breakdown…city uses pothole patching instead of street repaving…city uses staff with less experience or training to perform a service.

For these service impacts, the local government can ask if the impact affects equity.

For example, certain library branches might be used more by lower income people, so closing those branches
would have important equity impacts. On the other hand, perhaps certain types of permits or licenses are not disproportionately used by vulnerable populations, so to reduce office hours would not have equity impacts.

Earlier, we saw Toledo’s example around grass cutting and how cuts would have resulted in unacceptable losses in quality (i.e., more blight). The City has also been mindful of how its cut back strategies impact access to community assets, like parks and recreation, in low income neighborhoods.

Perspective #
2: Location Impact
Many of the inequities that a local government would be focused on have geographic character. For example, some neighborhoods might have more low income residents or people of color than other neighborhoods. Cites might consider the following questions about location:

7 Is the service geography neutral?
These are services that are distributed across the entire municipality with little variance by neighborhood. Examples include internal services like information technology, human resources and fleet management (for smaller communities) and citywide elected officials. Services that are “geography neutral” usually pose the least risk to equity, but could still serve a vulnerable population.

Does the service have a fixed geography with specific customers? These are services that are delivered from a central location and available to the community at-large, but used by specific segments of the community. Examples include building construction plan review and many kinds of licensing. In this case, equity impact would depend on who the customers of this service are. For example, for a given type of license, would a decreased level of service adversely impact any of the equity considerations from your definition of equity? Is the service delivered from a fixed site to a specific community? These are services delivered at locations distributed throughout the city with a service population local to the site. Examples include recreation centers, public parks, health clinics, and fire stations. These services pose greater risk of inequitable impact.

Is it a mobile service that serves a specific
community?
These are services where the staff are mobile
and focused on particular neighborhoods.

Examples include EMS units; code enforcement;
road patching crews; and litter abatement teams.

Cuts in these services could also pose greater risk
of inequitable impact.

Toledo has been thoughtful about the impact
of location. For example, the City is installing
LED street lighting throughout the community.

However, because it has limited resources, it can’t
install LED light throughout the entire community
at once. Therefore, the installation program
is driven by crime data: neighborhoods with
the most violent crime get lights first because
better lighting may help deter crime. This is an
example of a service with a fixed geography and
specific customers.

An example in Toledo of a mobile service that aids
a specific community is leaf collection. Similar to
grass cutting, leaf collection helps keep up
quality of life and prevent blight. However, some
neighborhoods produce more leaves than others
due to the types of trees. Toledo has tuned its leaf collection strategy to concentrate more resources in areas that produce more leaves.

In Toledo, leaf collection and grass were
major frustrations for residents. The City used
resident complaint data to develop a strategy
to more efficiently deliver services. With leaf
collection specifically, the City recognized
that certain neighborhoods had trees that
produce more leaves. The City determined
that those neighborhoods needed two
passes and rerouted crews to pick up leaves
in those neighborhoods first and last.

8 The table below recaps the two perspectives and questions cities might ask under each:

TWO PERSPECTIVES TO CONSIDER ON

THE EQUITY IMPACT OF BUDGET CUTS
Perspective #1: Service Impact Perspective #2: Location Impact What is the potential for reduced
access to services?
Fewer places to receive service?
Fewer hours of service delivered?
Fewer employees to provide a service?
Longer response times?
Is the service provided to the entire
municipality with little variance by
neighborhood?
Could vulnerable populations be hurt by the cut?
What is the potential for reduced
quality of service?
Will the quality be measurably lower?
Will the quality meet citizen expectations/needs?
Is the service delivered from a central
location and available to the community
at-large, but which is used by specific
segments of the community?
If so, are those segments a vulnerable population?
Is the service delivered at locations
distributed throughout the city with a
service population local to the site?
Are the populations served vulnerable?
Is the service one where staff are mobile,
but focus on particular neighborhoods?
Are those neighborhoods vulnerable?
9 A Word about Time Horizons
Budget cuts are, by their nature, focused on the short-term. However, the City of Toledo views the move toward a more equitable budget as a marathon, not a sprint. For that reason, Toledo has found great value in complementing its budget deliberations with a long-term financial plan and ten-year forecast. This helps the City keep an eye on its long-term objectives and ensure that decisions made today don’t unfairly burden future generations of citizens.

Conclusions
In a time of budget cuts it is almost inevitable that services will suffer.

By taking into account equity, a local government can reduce the pain experienced by disadvantaged parts of the community and reduce the pain experienced by the community as a whole. For any given budget cut, a city can ask the following to guard against disproportionate impact on its most vulnerable residents:
• What is the service impact? Could this cut reduce access to services or reduce the quality of services for vulnerable groups?
• What location within the city will be impacted? Does the service or program being cut serve a particular community or neighborhood? Those types of program cuts have the biggest risk of
inequitable impacts.

With the answers to these questions, cities can consider alternative cutback strategies. The Government Finance Officers Association has catalogued a large number of cut-back strategies and other tools for dealing with budget deficits at its Fiscal First Aid website.3 Cities can use these resources to find alternatives to strategies with inequitable impact.
3 https://www.gfoa.org/ffa

Update on the Pilot
Budget Equity Resource Guide & Tool
(BERG/T)
Racial Equity Committee Meeting
April 30, 2024

Background - Goals & Team
Goals
 Provide deeper analysis for select budget requests
from a racial equity lens.
 Help departments critically think about their role in advancing racial equity.
 Support City leadership's decision-making process
to ensure equitable outcomes.
 Create a tool, guide, Power Point to communicate,
and glossary of terms.
 Seamlessly align with where the current budget
decision cycle is and support/guide staff.

City and Council Staff Who Have Helped Guide
this work:
● Aimée Zenzele Barnes, Human Resources Department
● Anne Iturraran, Fire Department (Fire)
● Asialyn Lee, Office of Councilmember Mai Vang (CM Vang) ● Denise Malvetti, Office of Innovation & Economic Development (OIED)
● Larissa Wohl, Human Resources Department
● Kelly Fong Rivas, Office of the Mayor Darrell Steinberg (Mayor) ● Leyne Milstein, City Manager's Office (CMO)
● Megan Van Voorhis, Convention & Cultural Services Department (CCS)
● Michael Jasso, City Manager's Office (CMO)
● Robert Bell, Human Resources Department
2 Background - Our Collective Efforts Since January 30, 2024 3 Jan 30, 2024 Racial
Equity Committee (REC)
motioned and approved
direction to City staff to
develop a racial equity
tool
to be used as during
the Fiscal Year (FY)
2024/25 budget
development process
Feb 1, 2024 Racial Equity
City Team established
every Thursday to
develop budget equity
guide and tool
Feb 5-14, 2024 All Day
In-Person FY 2024/25
Budget Meeting with
City Departments
Feb 1-14, 2024 Diversity
& Equity Manager
researched and
developed draft of the
Budget Equity Resource
Guide (BERG) and
Budget Equity Resource
Tool (BERT) for deeper
consultation with Human
Resources Office of
Diversity and Equity
(ODE) Team. ODE Team
committed 8-10 hours of
working sessions and
editing
Feb 15, 2024 ODE Team
presented to CMO,
Racial Equity Advisor to
Mayor and Chief of Staff,
CM Vang on the draft
BERG/T for questions
and feedback
Feb 15 -16, 2024 In-
person meetings –
Budget Decisions with
City Manager, Assistant
City Managers (ACMs),
and Department staff
Feb 16, 2024 ODE Team,
Racial Equity Advisor to
Mayor and Chief of Staff,
CM Vang met with ACMs
to review draft BERG/T
Feb 22, 2024 ODE Team
introduced background
and draft of the BERG/T
to Finance, CCS, Fire, and
OIED for feedback,
questions, and discussed
considerations of
implications
Background - Our Collective Efforts Since January 30, 2024 (cont'd) 4 Feb 27, 2024 Budget
and Audit Committee
Special Meeting
Feb 29, 2024 Team
Meeting In-
person. Discussion
centered on
understanding
approach to applying
BERG/T. OIED, Fire,
and CCS working to
apply and complete
the BERG/T
Mar 6, 2024
FY2024/25 Budget
Public Meeting North
Natomas Community
Center
Mar 13, 2024
Meeting to finalize
BERG/T draft,
provided support to
divisions/department
applying the BERG/T
Mar 7-13, 2024 ODE
Team continued to
make edits on
BERG/T Power Point
and Word document
based on feedback.

ODE Team prepared
staff report for REC
Special Meeting on
status update on
BERG/T since last REC
Meeting
Mar 13, 2024 Budget
Public Meeting
Pannel Meadowview
Community Center
Mar 14, 2024 Budget
Public Meeting Clunie
Community Center
Apr 2, 2024 ODE
presented update
status on the BERG/T
on its development
and application at the
REC Special Meeting
Apr 4 – 25, 2024 Four
weekly meetings
shared learning on
BERG/T and finalize
presentation 04/30
TO DAY
How did we develop the Pilot Budget Equity
Resource Guide and Tool?
Given where we are in the budget cycle on January 30th our Pilot Budget Equity Resource Guide and Tool was designed with the following considerations:
• An equity lens during a budget reduction cycle
• Applicable to a portion of the over 250 reduction proposals departments submitted to the City Manager's Office (CMO)
• Affirm and align with the CMO budget instructions and expense reductions impact analysis (1 = low impact to 4=severe impact) on City services and staffing positions
• Affirm and align with Council 9 priorities
• Provide guidance to Council in decision making
5 Adapting from the April 2021 Resource Report that provides guidance on how cities can apply the equity lens to budget cuts through two perspectives: 1) Service impacts and 2) Location impacts Overview of Pilot Budget Equity
Resource Guide & Tool (BERG/T)
6 Section 1: Goal Setting,
Budget Classification,
and Project Outcomes
To get started, identify goals and project
outcomes of the service or project being
reduced or cut. Use your budget
classification and impact levels work for
this section. Consider explaining how
your service or project connects to the
City’s goals and helps to define the
potential reduction/cut’s impact on
different communities.

Identify the intended goals, budget
classification, and project outcomes of
service or project being reduced or cut.

GOAL SETTING & PROJECT

OUTCOMES
Explore the potential impacts of
spending cuts by identifying
demographics of community
members.

Understand the geographic
character of budget cuts and its
potential impacts on vulnerable
neighborhoods and communities.

Evaluate project progress, maintain
relationships, and consider future
implications
01 Section 2: Service Impacts
A spending cut could reduce the quality of
service that the City delivers. Collecting
data allows you to identify synergies with
existing work and unearth opportunities
to reduce the perpetuation of historical
and present inequities faced by certain
communities. Explore the potential
impacts of spending cuts by identifying
demographics of community members.

Explore the potential impacts of
spending cuts by identifying
demographics of community
members.

Evaluate project progress, maintain
relationships, and consider future
implications

SERVICE IMPACTS &

AVAILABLE DATA
02 Identify the intended goals and
project outcomes of budget
expense being reduced or cut.

Section 3: Location Impacts
This section is designed to help
understand the geographic character of
budget cuts and their potential impacts on
vulnerable and already underserved
neighborhoods and communities.

Identify the intended goals and
project outcomes of budget
expense being reduced or cut.

Explore the potential impacts of
spending cuts by identifying
demographics of community
members.

Understand the geographic
character of budget cuts and its
potential impacts on vulnerable
neighborhoods and communities.

LOCATION IMPACTS
03 Section 4: Re- Evaluating & Key
Impacts
Document impacts of budget cuts and
reductions to mitigate unintended
consequences and intend benefits for
future action. To explicitly consider
impacts to avoid contributing to
inequities and maintain relationships for
future collaboration and
implementation.

Identify the intended goals and
project outcomes of budget
expense being reduced or cut.

Understand the geographic
character of budget cuts and its
potential impacts on vulnerable
neighborhoods and communities
Evaluate project progress, maintain
relationships, and consider future
implications

RE-EVALUATING KEY

IMPACTS
04 Explore the potential impacts of
spending cuts by identifying
demographics of community
members.

Today's Presentation – Overview & Highlights
 Overview of 2 completed BERG/T from Office of Innovation & Economic Development (OIED).
 Overview of 1 completed BERG/T from Conventional & Cultural Services (CCS).
 Update of Integration of Heatmaps on SEED GIS Tool.
11 Today's Presentation - Supplemental Materials
As part of today's presentation, we included the following supplemental materials:
 The BERG/T template.
 April 2021 Report Used to create the pilot BERG/T.
 2 completed BERG/T from Office of Innovation & Economic Development (OIED).  1 completed BERG/T from Conventional & Cultural Services (CCS) Department.  3 completed BERG/T from Fire Department.

NOTE: Given that the Fire Department proposed reductions are no longer being cut from the budget, this presentation will be focused on OIED and CCS. 12 Today's Presentation –
Best Position to Apply BERG/T + Short Time Frame to Apply BERG/T = Equity Already in the Work
Office of Innovation and Economic Development
● Following the City Council policy direction, City staff with careholders outlined a framework that defines several components to create equitable outcomes, including establishing set of key inclusive guiding principles, quality of life indicators, and performance metrics system (October 2018).
● City Council Adopted Inclusive Economic Development Investment Funding Guidelines (Resolution 2018-0312, September 2019).
● ScaleUp Sacramento Inclusive Economic Action Agenda (January 2021). 13 Today's Presentation –
Best Position to Apply BERG/T + Short Time Frame to Apply BERG/T = Equity Already in the Work
Convention & Cultural Services
● Cultural Equity Statement presented to City Council (April 23, 2018). ● The newly formed Arts, Culture, and Creative Economy Commission met and adopted the Race and Cultural Equity Statement (June 2020).
14 How We Are Applying the Budget Equity Resource Guide & Tool (BERG/T)
• Applied to budget reductions in OIED, Fire, and CCS.
• Some may be grouped reductions if they are related.
• Given where we are in the budget decision cycle:
• Approach to propose reductions had already been developed. • Proposed reductions had already been identified.
• Due to short timeline, City staff will adjust the tool to fit narrative/nature of service delivery, and discretionary vs. fixed/mandated funding. 15 Application of BERG/T to Parts
of City Budget
Economic Development
16 Economic Development
How did you approach this process?
What methodology did you use while considering budget?
17 • General Fund/Measure U Budget is approximately $5,900,000, approximately 88% is staffing. • Priority to retain staff because we value the team, and they are delivering the impactful programs funded by grants and special funds.
• Given that majority of budget is personnel, looked at cuts that would minimize impacts to programs that help us achieve our inclusive economic development goals by using the Inclusive Economic Development Funding Strategy as a guide.

The City of Sacramento is committed to growing a strong, inclusive, and vibrant economy.

The Office of Innovation & Economic Development encourages job growth and investment in the City of Sacramento by retaining, attracting, growing, and scaling new and innovative businesses.

The Office is focused on better connecting residents in underserved communities with critical resources and housing, so all residents participate in Sacramento’s economic growth.

Economic Development
Section 1 - Goal Setting, Budget Classification, and Project Outcomes 18 Proposed Reductions
• Eliminate two vacant FTEs.
• Principal Planner (Railyards & Riverfront)
• Administrative Technician (Innovation & Entrepreneurship) Budget Classification
• Discretionary
• Level of Impact: 1
Goals and Project Outcomes
• Develop a vision for the Railyards and Waterfront in hopes of accelerating the redevelopment of the areas.
• Develop and implement innovation and entrepreneurship programs to assist Sacramento’s small businesses and innovators.
• Central city as a regional destination, generate jobs, create housing, and therefore generate additional tax revenues for the City.

Economic Development
Section 2 - Service Impacts
19 • The Office of Innovation and Economic Development is focused on growing a strong, inclusive, and vibrant economy. Any changes in our staff levels impact that work. • The service impacts expand beyond the two specific areas/programs (Railyards/Waterfront and Innovation & Entrepreneurship) because we adjust staff to address needs in real time. These areas could include:
• Workforce Development
• Small Business Assistance
• Housing
• Community Engagement
• Community Investment
• Services may be slowed down, yet the impact does not mean things will stop .

Economic Development
Section 3 - Location Impacts
20 Principal Planner Position
• Railyards & Riverfront
• HUD Qualified Census Tract
• Promise Zone Designation
• Opportunity Zone
• Regional given it's a destination
Administrative Technician (Innovation & Entrepreneurship) • Citywide
• Inclusion and equity impacts
Economic Development
Section 4 - Re-Evaluating & Key Impacts
21 Economic Considerations (Primary Equity Opportunity Area) • Loss of Jobs/Unemployment
• Economic Recovery
• Economic Stability
• Access to Workforce Development and Employment Opportunities Other Equity Opportunity Areas
• Food Access
• Community Access
• Mobility
• Housing
Economic Development
Learned So Far in Applying the BERG/T - Future Practice 22 Inclusive Economic Development Funding Strategy & ScaleUp • Helpful to have adopted Guidelines.

Data and Metrics
• Capacity (External and Internal)
• Consistency
• Timing
Application of BERG/T To Parts
of City Budget
Convention & Cultural Services
23 Convention & Cultural Services
How did you approach this process?
What methodology did you use while considering budget?
24 • Considered overall Convention & Cultural Services (CCS) budget of $27,863,209 in FY 2023/24 and proportion of funding from Measure U/General Fund/Innovation & Growth Fund. • Considered what options were available after excluding funding for employee services and other services and supplies.
• The remaining $1,114,000 supports multi-year operating projects – the Cultural Arts Awards program and Creative Edge.
• Because the multi-year operating projects (MYOPs) support CCS’ reach throughout Sacramento and includes direct financial support of communities of color, we ruled out cuts to those areas. • Proposed eligible expenses be transitioned to Transient Occupancy Tax (TOT) funds to maintain service delivery to the public, then looked at discretionary funding items, such as arts stabilization and contracts with partners where they have other capacity to secure revenues to support their work.

Convention & Cultural Services
Section 1 - Goal Setting, Budget Classification, and Project Outcomes 25 Proposed Reductions
• Reduction in Funding for Old Sacramento Visitor Center Support and Sacramento History Alliance Operations and Services.
• Reduction in Funding for SMUD Museum of Science and Curiosity (MOSAC). • Total Reduction $174,000 between both museums.

Budget Classification
• Discretionary
• Level of Impact: 2
Goals and Project Outcomes
• Delivery of educational and cultural experiences to the public. • Primarily helping people understand history and science through fun and engaging exhibitions and programming.

Secondarily addressing issues of social isolation, educational achievement, and civic engagement. • Museums are key drivers of community health and wellbeing. • Expand participant understanding of arts, culture, history, science, and the world around them. • Contribute to economic vibrancy, offering a unique feature to attract people (and their related spending) into the City’s core.
• Improve educational experiences for young people, leading to student growth and achievement.

Convention & Cultural Services
Section 2 - Service Impacts
26 • Closure of the Old Sacramento Visitor's Center, which serves 20,000-30,000 annually. • Would likely have to consolidate some of the functions to the museum site and have museum staff absorb responsibilities.
• Closing for one day a week may be a necessity, which will result in reduced access to exhibits and programs by community.
• Staffing cuts are inevitable at both institutions, which could affect the number of school groups that can be served by remaining staff as well as the student experience. • In general, cuts to operating funding create pressure on free programming offered to community members. Such programming is likely to be reduced and in general that’s likely to have a greater effect on Sacramento’s most vulnerable populations.

Convention & Cultural Services
Section 3 - Location Impacts
27 • Both museums serve visitors from throughout the region and far beyond. • Both museums have education partnerships with schools for field trips and other education programs.
• Twin Rivers Unified School District is a major partner of MOSAC, ensuring every 3rd grader gets access to a field trip to MOSAC.
• Cuts to free programming is most likely to affect the most vulnerable populations. • Reduction in staffing could affect the experience of students from schools who may not have the luxury of sending chaperones on field trips.

Convention & Cultural Services
Section 4 - Re-Evaluating & Key Impacts
28 Arts and cultural infrastructure and programming holds great promise for advancing better outcomes for our communityeconomically, educationally and socially – and particularly our most vulnerable populations. • In the case of these two museums, it’s clear that redefining historical narratives and providing access to STEAM education are critical to achieving social and economic justice. Both museums contribute to that and the overall health, wellbeing and enjoyment of the people who participate in their programming and visit their exhibitions.

It's important to acknowledge the historic systems of power and privilege that have shaped the arts and cultural infrastructure as we know it (both here in Sacramento and across the country). • The strength and connections of a nonprofit board can significantly influence where arts and cultural infrastructure investments are made – and the level of those investments can have longstanding implications. • Organizations led by, accountable to, and predominately serving communities of color often face barriers in philanthropy, lack access to the connections to high-net-worth individuals, and lack knowledge of funding tools, policies and processes that may come easier to larger institutions.
• CCS shaped our budget reduction recommendations to limit the impact on those that have nottraditionally benefited from those systems of power and privilege.

All communities should benefit from the public infrastructure investments we've made. • Whether it's our own facilities, or our partners, we're looking at new ways to work to advance the cause (through contract negotiations and other means).

Convention & Cultural Services
Learned So Far in Applying the BERG/T - Future Practice 29 • CCS considered racial equity impacts ahead of submitting budget reduction plans. • Even so, the budget reduction tool helped me gain a more detailed understanding of the racial equity impacts of some of the proposed cuts.
• Having better information from our partners on their services to marginalized communities would be helpful. • Finding out about the Museums for All program and the people served by that program after reductions was proposed was challenging, knowing that ahead of time might have changed how I looked at things. • Departments and their staff are all at different places along the racial equity journey and it's hard to get one tool to meet people where they are. For example, the questions someone might ask at the beginning part of their journey, may look different than what we ask someone further along on their journey. • How can we use existing tools (e.g. staff reports, BCPs) to help ignite some conversation around racial equity impacts, while still keeping a more efficient process and meeting people where they are. • There have been some amazing tools developed by the Finance Team as working through this process, how can we model based on some of what they have done, like defining levels of impact from a racial equity perspective (think 1-4 as was done for budget reduction classifications); or perhaps having the methodology for order of operations consider racial equity at the start.

What Have We Learned So Far
30 In Summary
Learned So Far in Applying the BERG/T - Emergent Practice 31 • Initially the BERG/T is easier to apply to discretionary funding. • Understand how applying the BERG/T to historical legacy funding when decisions were made without an equitable lens.
• Having a Citywide commitment and leadership mandate helps groundshared understanding, approach, and real success.
• Understand how applying a racial equity lens to future parts of the budgetand implementing mitigating strategies to change and shift funding whenexpenses/monies are:
• Fixed/mandated or tied to bond/debt services
• Fixed/mandated by prior Council decisions
• Obligated due to compliance and contracts
• Obligated due to historical legacy funding
• Consistency of data collection and analysis across city and with partners.

In Summary
Learned So Far in Applying the BERG/T - Future Practice 32 • Start early with phased roll-outs.
• Training and input on the tool and process before starting a process is necessary. • How-to manual providing with supplementary resources including glossary of terms, and data and engagement resources is necessary.
• Possible racial equity team (multi-departmental) providing support to departments:
• Training and input on the tool and process before starting is necessary • How-to manual providing with supplementary resources including glossary of terms, and data and engagement resources is necessary
• One-on-one consultations made available to departments while working on the process of completing the tool
• Train the Trainer approach
• Incorporating through a phased approach a racial equity lens into existing forms, processes, and workflow.

Update of Integration of
Heatmaps on SEED GIS Tool
Links to GIS Resources:

SEED Application w/ Heat Maps
311 Incident Maps
City of Sacramento's Open Data Portal
33 Thanks!
34 1

BUDGET EQUITY RESOURCE GUIDE & TOOL
As you move through this budget equity tool, you will be asked to identify your budget classification and impact levels (mandatory, discretionary, impact level 1-4). Please use this information and proposed reductions as approved by the City Manager to answer any related questions in this tool.

How did you approach this process? What methodology did you use while considering budget cuts?

Purpose of Budget Reductions

1. Name or Group of Reductions (tie to BCP numbers or totals). If grouped, please share which BCPs and why they are grouped together: Museum reductions. Grouped together because they are discretionary expenditures associated with partner contracts. Together the reductions total $174,000.

2. What type of program is this? (Mandated, Discretionary): Discretionary The City of Sacramento’s budget for Convention & Cultural Services was $27,863,209 in FY 23-24. Of that budget, approximately 75% came from the Community Center Fund, 23.5% from Measure U/General Fund/Innovation & Growth Fund, and 1.5% came from other funds. Approximately 83% of the CCS Measure U/General Fund/Innovation & Growth Fund resources are devoted to Employee Services and Other Services and Supplies. The remaining $1,114,000 supports multi-year operating projects – the Cultural Arts Awards program and Creative Edge. Because the MYOPs support CCS’ reach throughout Sacramento (see attached map for programming location delivery of Cultural Arts Awards grantees) and includes financial resources that directly support organizations led by, accountable to, and predominately serving communities of color, we knew that recommending cuts to those areas would have a measurable impact on our efforts to advance race and cultural equity within the arts space. Instead, and where we could, we proposed eligible expenses be transitioned to Transient Occupancy Tax funds to maintain service delivery to the public, then we looked at discretionary funding items, such as arts stabilization and contracts with partners (Sacramento History Alliance, MOSAC, and Downtown Sacramento Partnership) where they have other capacity (stable staff and board connections) to secure revenues to support their work.
2 3. What is the level of impact? (1-4): 2

4. Brief Description of Reduction: Reduction in Funding for Old Sacramento Visitor Center Support and Sacramento History Alliance Operations and Services; Reduction in Funding for SMUD Museum of Science and Curiosity (MOSAC).

5. Department(s) Involved: Convention & Cultural Services

6. Type of Program or Service the budget expense is for: Delivery of educational and cultural experiences to the public.

7. How did you apply your approach to this BCP? This BCP was a result of the approach described above. For CCS, the top priority was ensuring financial resources continued to make their way into communities of color. While these two museums are actively involved in serving communities of color through their programs, we believe they are better positioned organizationally to bear the burden of cuts when compared to arts and cultural organizations situated directly in communities of color. That doesn’t mean that such cuts won’t have a significant impact on the two organizations. It’s just that their stable staff capacity and well-connected boards are significant assets for securing individual donations and other sources of support. Arts & cultural organizations led by, accountable to, and predominately serving communities of color face historic challenges of access to philanthropic dollars, including but not limited to unfair judgments about the capacity to deliver on larger grant awards. They also often lack board member connections that can open doors to high-net-worth individuals and other policy makers with resources.

8. What problem or challenge is the Program or Service trying to solve? Primarily helping people understand history and science through fun and engaging exhibitions and programming. Secondarily addressing issues of social isolation, educational achievement, and civic engagement.

9. What are the desired program or service outcomes? Museums are key drivers of community health and wellbeing. They help expand participant understanding of arts, culture, history, science and the world around them. They contribute to economic vibrancy, offering a unique feature to attract people (and their related spending) into the City’s core.

And they improve educational experiences for young people, leading to student growth and achievement.
3 Equity Opportunity Areas
Equity Opportunity Areas are examples of potential equity impacts that were developed by engaging community members. Consider taking this thinking into all follow-up tasks to ensure you are centering the equity opportunities you identified.

Which equity opportunity area(s) will this primarily impact? Select all that apply.

Community Access
☒ Access to public spaces (e.g. Libraries,
centers, parks)
☐ Access to public transportation
☐ Access to broadband internet
☐ Access to information in different
languages
☒ Access to information in different
auditory/visual formats
☐ Access to emergency services for
frontline communities
☐ Access to community involvement in
planning

Human/Social Services
☒ Impact on services for Sacramento
residents
☐ Disproportionate distribution of
resources to frontline communities
☐ Disruption of services to frontline
communities
☐ Impact on social services provided by
religious non-profit organizations
Mobility
☐ Those unable to afford transportation
costs
☐ Flooding of critical road networks
☐ Mobility limitations during heat
waves/storms
Food
☐ Food insecurity
☐ Malnutrition and chronic health
disparities

4 Public Health
☐ Physical and mental health concerns
☐ Air pollution
☐ Water quality
☐ Unfair siting of infrastructure like
landfills, trash incinerators, wind turbines,
and solar panels
☐ Exacerbating disparities from COVID-19
Cultural Impacts
☒ Loss of important cultural sites
☒ Disruption of cultural practices (in
general)
☐ Loss of culture and spirituality involving
Sacramento cultural sites and/or practices

Other (Please fill in your own)
☐ Access to STEAM learning opportunities is limited to vulnerable population (youth, BIPOC, low income)
☐
☐
5 How does the reduction in the program or service outcomes relate to the selected equity opportunity areas?

Both museums create unique ways to engage visitors on topics that are critical to educational growth and economic justice. In the case of the SMUD Museum of Science and Curiosity (MOSAC), the museum is a hub for STEAM (Science, Technology, Engineering, Arts and Math) that served over 163,00 people in 2023. MOSAC provided free admission to 4017 individuals from July 2023-March 2024 through Museums for All – a program that provides free admission (for up to a family of four) when a SNAP/EBT card is presented. The unsubsidized program is valued at over $65,000 of giving back to the community. Nearly 25,000 students visited on field trips from 21 counties. All Twin Rivers 3rd grade students visit each year, with many schools in that district Title 1. Collaborations with STEM professionals also provide interactions with real scientists, and they encourage diversity when they invite these scientists, so that people can meet STEM professionals who look like them and learn about careers they can pursue.

In the case of the Sacramento History Museum, there has been an intentional focus on accessibility for people at the museum – including creation of exhibits that take into consideration those who are blind and low vision. There has also been an intentional focus on creating exhibitions through community partnerships reflecting the rich diversity of Sacramento’s people. Educational programs served 12,000 youth in 2023, the majority of which were in 4th -8th grade. In 2023, 5% or 602 students/30 Teachers from low-income or Title 1 schools applied and received scholarships for school programs. The Sacramento History Museum participates in the Museums for All program as well. Reductions in funding could affect these organizational strides and an array of other community and public programs which contribute to how people understand and engage with their history – and ultimately each other.

In short, in a time when history and science are increasingly being challenged by society, these museums break down barriers, open new doorways to understanding and create space for representation from a rich tapestry of people.
6 Section 2: Service Impacts
A spending cut could reduce the quality of service that the City delivers. Collecting data allows you to identify synergies with existing work and unearth opportunities to reduce the perpetuation of historical and present injustice faced by certain communities. Explore the potential impacts of spending cuts by identifying demographics of community members.

Impacts By Demographics
Identify the demographics of residents who may be impacted by the service or program reduction.

Race/Ethnicity
☐ Asian
☐ Black or African American
☐ Filipino
☐ Hispanic or Latino/a/e/x
☐ Middle Eastern or North African
☐ Native American or Alaska Native
☐ Native Hawaiian or other Pacific Islander
☐ White
☐ Other:
☒ All
☐ No impact in this area
Level of Vulnerability (based on
Sacramento County Social Vulnerability
Index) *
Percentile ranking values range from 0 to 1, with
higher values indicating greater vulnerability.
☐ 0.00-0.24
☐ 0.25-0.49
☐ 0.50-0.74
☐ 0.75-1.00
* The SVI is not a good measure of
vulnerability for this particular program.

More discussion needed.

The Old Sacramento Visitor’s Center would close and functions could potentially be folded into the Sacramento History Museum, but staffing reductions at the Visitor’s Center would mean that existing staff would have to play that role. Staffing reductions are likely and could affect the number of school groups that can be served by remaining staff as well as the student experience. Closing for one day a week may be a necessity, which will result in reduced access to exhibits and programs by community. In general, cuts to operating funding create pressure on free programming offered to community members.

Such programming is likely to be reduced and in general that’s likely to have a greater effect on Sacramento’s most vulnerable populations.
7 Section 3: Location Impacts
This section is designed to help understand the geographic character of budget cuts and their potential impacts on vulnerable and already underserved neighborhoods and communities.

Please fill out only those that apply.

List any specific geographic areas your program or service impacts below.

Examples: Districts, Opportunity/Promise Zones, Neighborhoods, Service Districts

If this is a program or service provided to the entire city with little variance by neighborhood, could vulnerable populations be hurt by the cut?

Cuts to free programming are most likely to affect the most vulnerable populations. Reduction in staffing could affect the experience of students from schools who may not have the luxury of sending chaperones on field trips.

8 Mobile Program or Service
These are services where the staff are mobile and focused on specific neighborhoods.

Examples include EMS units, code enforcement, road patching crews, and litter abatement teams. Cuts in these services could also pose greater risks of inequitable impact.

If this is a mobile program or service that serves a specific community or specific neighborhoods, are those neighborhoods vulnerable?

Program or Service from a Fixed Site
These are programs or services delivered at locations distributed throughout the city with a service population local to the site. Examples include recreations centers, public parks, and fire stations. These services pose greater risk of inequitable impact.

If this is a program or service delivered at locations distributed throughout the city with a service population local to the site, are the populations served vulnerable?

9 Section 4: Re-Evaluating Key Impacts
Recall the purpose of the program or service budget expense from Step #1 and the budget classification including impact level (1-4).

Do you have a better idea of how neighborhoods and/or populations will benefit and how they will benefit?

Do you have a better idea of how neighborhoods and/or populations will be negatively impacted and how they will be impacted?

In discussions with the museums, we developed a greater understanding of how the community is serving vulnerable populations and what the risk of a cut is to serving those populations. The ability to continue to offer unsubsidized programming is challenging and creates added pressure to identify new sources to sustain it, lest service quality be reduced. Moreover, a weakened ability of these organizations to serve their core missions and provide access to high quality exhibitions and programming affects the outcomes above.

Arts and cultural infrastructure and programming holds great promise for advancing better outcomes for our community economically, educationally, and socially – and particularly our most vulnerable populations.
• In the case of these two museums, it’s clear that redefining historical narratives and providing access to STEAM education are critical to achieving social and economic justice. Both museums contribute to that and the overall health, wellbeing and enjoyment of the people who participate in their programming and visit their exhibitions.

It's important to acknowledge the historic systems of power and privilege that have shaped the arts and cultural infrastructure as we know it (both here in Sacramento and across the country). • The strength and connections of a nonprofit board can significantly influence where arts and cultural infrastructure investments are made – and the level of those investments can have longstanding implications.
• Organizations led by, accountable to, and predominately serving communities of color often face barriers in philanthropy, lack access to the connections to high-net-worth individuals, and lack knowledge of funding tools, policies and processes that may come easier to larger institutions. • CCS shaped our budget reduction recommendations to limit the impact on those that have not traditionally benefited from those systems of power and privilege.

10 Advancing Equity in FY ’24-‘25
Offer a brief description of the programs and services that are proposed for funding in the FY ’24-’25 budget that advance equity:

The Office of Arts and Culture will continue to offer its Cultural Arts Awards program, which provides operating support to arts and cultural organizations throughout Sacramento.

Funding will also be available to continue investments in neighborhood arts and cultural activities. Film grants – which have a history of elevating the voices of marginalized communities – will also continue to be offered.

The Center for Sacramento History will continue its important work to advance awareness and understanding of the effects of systemic racism on the Sacramento region. A new (and evolving) website will make it easier to access the Center’s Documenting Inequality resources. The Center will continue to offer its Kids/Teens Collect programming to uplift the voices and stories of Sacramento youth.

The budget includes the introduction of an entertainment services division, which would consolidate entertainment-related permitting into a single entity. With focus on process improvements, education and information delivery, we will make it easier for communities of color who have historically struggled with permitting policies and processes.

As we continue to complete the rollout of ARPA funds focused on the creative economy, programs for creative businesses will elevate and support those occupations and entrepreneurial profiles that contain high representation of communities of color – per our recent creative economy report Sprout to Growth: Potential Pathways to Growing Sacramento’s Creative Economy. Youth workforce development funding will also be targeted toward those communities.

11 GLOSSARY OF TERMS
As you reflect on and respond to the questions relating to the Budgeting for Equity Tool, please refer to the definitions provided below.

Additional Terms & Definitions
Accessibility: The design, construction, development, and maintenance of facilities, information and communication technology, programs, and services so that all people, including people with disabilities, can fully and independently use them. Accessibility includes the provision of accommodations and modifications to ensure equal access to employment and participation in activities for people with disabilities, the reduction or elimination of physical and attitudinal barriers to equitable opportunities, a commitment to ensuring that people with disabilities can independently access every outward-facing and internal activity or electronic space, and the pursuit of best practices such as universal design. (Source) Anti-racist: An anti-racist is someone who is supporting an antiracist policy through their actions or expressing antiracist ideas. This includes the expression of ideas that racial groups are equals and do not need developing, and supporting policies that reduce racial inequity.

Benefit: An advantage or profit gained from the implementation of a service policy, program, or initiative.

Black, Indigenous, People of Color (BIPOC): ‘Black, Indigenous, People of Color,’ is meant to unite all people of color in the work for liberation while intentionally acknowledging that not all people of color face the same levels of injustice. By specifically naming Black and Indigenous people we are recognizing that Black and Indigenous people face the worst consequences of systemic white supremacy, classism and settler colonialism (Source) Burden: To give someone an unequal, overwhelming share of an undesirable, unpleasant or difficult factor; typically associated with causing inequitable outcomes.

Disparities: A measure that indicates a difference between specific groups or population; the difference is usually unfair. (Source)
Diversity: Each person has layers of diversity that make his/her/their perspective unique. The City of Sacramento defines diversity as the variety of human differences and similarities among people, such as: age, belief system, class/caste, culture, disability, education, ethnicity, gender, gender identity, generation, geography, job role and function, language, marital status, mental health, nationality, native or indigenous origins, parental status, personality type, race, religion, sexual orientation, thinking style, work experience, and work style. 12 Equality: Everyone is treated the same exact way, regardless of need or any other individual difference. (Source)
Equity: Regardless of one’s identity, equity is when all people have just treatment, access to opportunities necessary to satisfy their essential needs, advance their well-being, and achieve their full potential while identifying and eliminating barriers that have prevented the full participation of some groups. Although both promote fairness, equality achieves this through treating everyone the same, regardless of need and circumstances. Equity achieves this through treating people differently dependent on need, circumstance and consideration of historical and systemic inequities.
(Adapted from the Government Alliance on Race & Equity definition of racial equality)
Equity Lens/Framework: A way of analyzing policies, practice, and procedures by assessing disparities as well as the needs and assets of underserved communities/populations. (Source) Implicit Bias: Also known as unconscious or hidden bias, biases people are usually unaware of and that operate at the subconscious level. Implicit bias is usually expressed indirectly. (Source) Inclusion: A dynamic state of feeling, belonging, and operating in which diversity is leveraged and valued to create a fair, healthy, and high-performing organization or community. An inclusive culture and environment ensure equitable access to resources and opportunities for all. It also enables individuals and groups to feel safe, respected, heard, engaged, motivated, and valued for who they are. (Source)
Intersectionality: Per Kimberlé Williams Crenshaw, intersectionality is simply a prism to see the interactive effects of various forms of discrimination and disempowerment. It looks at the way that racism, many times, interacts with patriarchy, heterosexism, classism, xenophobia — seeing that the overlapping vulnerabilities created by these systems actually create specific kinds of challenges. “Intersectionality 102,” then, is to say that these distinct problems create challenges for movements that are only organized around these problems as separate and individual. So, when racial justice doesn’t have a critique of patriarchy and homophobia, the particular way that racism is experienced and exacerbated by heterosexism, classism etc., falls outside of our political organizing. It means that significant numbers of people in our communities aren’t being served by social justice frames because they don’t address the particular ways that they’re experiencing discrimination.

13 Privilege: Unearned social power accorded by the formal and informal institutions of society to ALL members of a dominant group (e.g. white privilege, male privilege, etc.). Privilege is usually invisible to those who have it because we’re taught not to see it, but nevertheless it puts them at an advantage over those who do not have it. A systemic valuing, favoring or enhancing that only certain populations benefit from based on the group of which they are a part. (Adapted from source and source)
Race: A social construct that categorizes individuals based on their physical characteristics, particularly skin and hair texture, and not an actual biological fact. (Source) Racial Equity: A situation that is achieved when people are thriving and race no longer statistically dictates, determines or predicts one’s social outcomes or ability to thrive. (Source) The City of Sacramento affirms racial equity as a core value in which race does not affect life outcomes. We acknowledge historical racial inequities and are committed to transparent, deliberate, and actionable solutions that will remedy those inequities and serve all our diverse communities. (Source)
Racial Equity Accountability: In the context of racial equity work, accountability refers to the ways in which individuals and communities hold themselves to their goals and actions and acknowledge the values and groups to which they are responsible. To be accountable, one must be visible, with a transparent agenda and process. Accountability demands commitment. From a relational point of view, accountability is not always doing it right. Sometimes it’s really about what happens after it’s done wrong. (Source)
Social Vulnerability Index (SVI) Map: SVI - developed by the Center for Disease Control and Prevention's Agency for Toxic Substance and Disease Registry (ATSDR) - uses U.S. Census data to determine the social vulnerability of every Census tract to help public health officials and emergency response partners identify and map the communities that will most likely need support before, during, and after a hazardous event. The SVI ranks each tract on 16 social factors, four related themes, and provides an overall ranking. This map provides information related to the 16 social factors, maps the four SVI themes and overall ranking. (Source)

How did you approach this process? What methodology did you use while considering budget cuts?

Purpose of Budget Reductions

1. Name or Group of Reductions (tie to BCP numbers or totals). If grouped, please share which BCPs and why they are grouped together: CMO BCPs 8.

2. What type of program is this? (Mandated, Discretionary): Discretionary

GF/MU Budget is approximately $5.9M, approximately 88% is staffing.

Priority to retain staff because we value the team and they are delivering the impactful programs funded by grants and special funds.

Given that majority of budget is personnel, looked at cuts that would minimize impacts to programs that help us achieve our inclusive Economic Development goals by analyzing program metrics and data.

The City of Sacramento is committed to growing a strong, inclusive, and vibrant economy.

The Office of Innovation & Economic Development encourages job growth and investment in the City of Sacramento by retaining, attracting, growing, and scaling new and innovative businesses.

The Office is focused on better connecting residents in underserved communities with critical resources and housing, so all residents participate in Sacramento’s economic growth.

In addition to the liquidation of MYOPs and hiatus from funding MYOPs that have an accrued balance, the OIED cut also includes elimination of vacant positions.

2 3. What is the level of impact? (1-4): 1

4. Brief Description of Reduction: Liquidation or hiatus from funding of both General Fund/Measure U MYOPs and Innovation and Growth Fund MYOPs including City Hall Tech, Forgivable Loan Program, Inclusive Economic Development and Innovation Grants.

5. Department(s) Involved: CMO/OIED

6. Type of Program or Service the budget expense is for: Funding supports economic development programs.

7. How did you apply your approach to this BCP? Analyzed cuts that would minimize impacts to programs that help the City achieve our Inclusive Economic Development goals. The first set of MYOPs that were identified for reduction are inactive or completed projects/programs. The Liquidation of those MYOPs is not envisioned to have any impact to services. The next level of reductions was focused on MYOPs that had accrued a balance and although the programs are still active, they have enough funding to sustain the programs for two years while the funding goes on hiatus and therefore the community should see minimal impacts to programing levels. One MYOP, City Hall Tech, is proposed to be liquidated and not reactivated. The City Hall Tech MYOP was created for purchased with an economic development purpose that help make Sacramento the easiest place to do business in California. By investing in technology that will make local government more efficient for entrepreneurs, the City is encouraging additional business creation and job growth.

8. What problem or challenge is the Program or Service trying to solve? Innovation and Growth Fund MYOPs are intended to stimulate inclusive and equitable economic growth in Sacramento.

9. What are the desired program or service outcomes? Increased job opportunities; supporting small businesses, innovators and entrepreneurs; and increased tax generation.

3 Equity Opportunity Areas
Equity Opportunity Areas are examples of potential equity impacts that were developed by engaging community members. Consider taking this thinking into all follow-up tasks to ensure you are centering the equity opportunities you identified.

Which equity opportunity area(s) will this primarily impact? Select all that apply.

Community Access
☐ Access to public spaces (e.g. Libraries,
centers, parks)
☐ Access to public transportation
☐ Access to broadband internet
☐ Access to information in different
languages*
☐ Access to information in different
auditory/visual formats
☐ Access to emergency services for
frontline communities
☐ Access to community involvement in
planning*

Food
☐ Food insecurity
☐ Malnutrition and chronic health
disparities

4 Public Health
☐ Physical and mental health concerns
☐ Air pollution
☐ Water quality
☐ Unfair siting of infrastructure like
landfills, trash incinerators, wind turbines,
and solar panels
☒ Exacerbating disparities from COVID-19
Cultural Impacts
☐ Loss of important cultural sites
☐ Disruption of cultural practices (in
general)
☐ Loss of culture and spirituality involving
Sacramento cultural sites and/or practices

Housing
☐ Ability to afford disaster preparation and
recovery
☐ Ability to afford relocation costs
☐ Increased housing costs
☐ Homeless/houseless communities
☐ Un-insured or under-insured community
members to potential damages
Economic Considerations
☒ Loss of jobs/unemployment
☒ Economic recovery
☒ Economic stability
Livability/Cost of Living
☐ High utility costs
☐ Ability to afford HVAC
☐ Unequal energy burden
☐ Those unable to afford living costs

Other (Please fill in your own)
☐ Increasing access to workforce development and services for Sacramento residents ☐ Increasing access to employment opportunities
☐

5 How does the reduction in the program or service outcomes relate to the selected equity opportunity areas?

The Office of Innovation and Economic Development is focused on growing a strong, inclusive, and vibrant economy. Any changes to program funding reduce our ability to further the city’s inclusive economic development goals.

The highlighted Equity Opportunity Areas are the primary ones impacted by the funding reductions. Due to the variety of programs administered by OIED, other potentially impacted Equity Opportunity Areas have been noted with an *.

The Forgivable Loan Program, Inclusive Economic Development and Innovation Grants MYOPs receive annual allocations from the Innovation and Growth Fund. All MYOPs accrued a balance during the Pandemic because staff were reassigned to deploy the CARES and ARPA funding and therefore, we did not have the capacity to continue many of our other programs at the same level. The programs have resumed and will continue with the accrued balances over the next two years. There may be impacts if the funds are depleted prior to funding being reinstated in future budget cycles.

6 Impacts By Demographics
Identify the demographics of residents who may be impacted by the service or program reduction.

Level of Vulnerability (based on
Sacramento County Social Vulnerability
Index)
Percentile ranking values range from 0 to 1, with
higher values indicating greater vulnerability.
☐ 0.00-0.24
☐ 0.25-0.49
☐ 0.50-0.74
☒ 0.75-1.00
Other Indicators
☐
☐
☐
☐
Section 3: Location Impacts
This section is designed to help understand the geographic character of budget cuts and their potential impacts on vulnerable and already underserved neighborhoods and communities.

Please fill out only those that apply.

List any specific geographic areas your program or service impacts below.

Examples: Districts, Opportunity/Promise Zones, Neighborhoods, Service Districts

7 Program or Service Geography: Citywide
Examples include internal services like IT, HR, and Fleet management and citywide elected officials. Services that are “geography neutral” usually pose the least risk to equity but could still serve a vulnerable population.

If this is a program or service provided to the entire city with little variance by neighborhood, could vulnerable populations be hurt by the cut?

Program or Service from a Central Location
Examples include building construction plan review and many kinds of licensing. In this case, equity would depend on who the careholders of this service are. For example, for a given type of license, would a decreased level of service adversely impact any of the equity considerations from our definition of equity?
If the program or service is delivered from a central location and available to the community at- large, but is more commonly used by specific segments of the community, are those segments a vulnerable population?
The Innovation & Growth Fund MYOPs assists with the deployment of programs citywide. Despite the program being delivered citywide, a delay or hiatus of programs could impact Sacramento’s most vulnerable populations. One example of this impact, while the Innovation Grants were on hiatus from 2020-2023, Sacramento continued on its inclusive economic development journey prioritizing and investing in Sacramento’s underserved residents and neighborhoods. The re-launch of the program included equity and inclusion as a core tenet and the scoring rubric and grant awards reflected that priority.

8 Mobile Program or Service
These are services where the staff are mobile and focused on specific neighborhoods.

Examples include EMS units, code enforcement, road patching crews, and litter abatement teams. Cuts in these services could also pose greater risks of inequitable impact.

If this is a mobile program or service that serves a specific community or specific neighborhoods, are those neighborhoods vulnerable?

If this is a program or service delivered at locations distributed throughout the city with a service population local to the site, are the populations served vulnerable?

9 Section 4: Re-Evaluating Key Impacts
Recall the purpose of the program or service budget expense from Step #1 and the budget classification including impact level (1-4).

Do you have a better idea of how neighborhoods and/or populations will benefit and how they will benefit?

Do you have a better idea of how neighborhoods and/or populations will be negatively impacted and how they will be impacted?

The availability of data and metrics assisted with prioritizing potential budget reductions. The programs that have the most thorough data were the ones that were prioritized because the impacts were evident.

It should also be noted that inconsistency of data makes it challenging to compare programs. As mentioned earlier, the majority of the OIED budget is personnel so funding for programs often comes from outside funders who have varying data collection and reporting requirements.

The review of program outcomes assisted with the development of proposed budget reductions and the Budget Equity Guide and Resource Tool assisted in retrospectively analyzing the impacts.

Unfortunately, Sacramento’s residents or businesses will not benefit from these MYOP reductions but they should see minimal impacts in the 24/25 and 25/26 fiscal years.

10 Advancing Equity in FY ’24-‘25
Offer a brief description of the programs and services that are proposed for funding in the FY ’24-’25 budget that advance equity:

Financial Empowerment Center: The FEC provides free, professional, one-on-one financial coaching for residents aged 18 and over. Since the launch of the program the FEC has assisted over 1,200 residents with various financial needs. 1,285 clients, Average Savings Increase: $2,264 Total Amount Saved: $577,324, Total Debt Reduced: $1,216,930.

Community Ambassador Program: Program in partnership with CDD. Pays residents to establish and maintain relationships with culturally diverse and historically underrepresented populations. The program aims to bridge the gap between the City and the community, ensuring access to information and resources.

The current cohort consists of 18 ambassadors providing language access in over 11 languages.

Neighborhood Development Action Team (NDAT): Partnership of OIED and CDD. NDAT is committed to ensuring Sacramento’s neighborhoods and commercial districts reflect a sustainable, resilient and inclusive economy. By facilitating equitable investments and resources from the City and its partner agencies, NDAT will increase the quality of life and economic growth of people, businesses and places in Sacramento’s historically disenfranchised and disinvested neighborhoods. Although this great work will continue, it will also be at a reduced level as the proposed budget includes a $600,000 reduction in the annual budget.

Forward Together Marysville – Del Paso Action Plan (NDAT): The City is partnering with residents, business owners, landowners, and organizations to strengthen the Del Paso - Marysville Blvd corridor as a vital core for the surrounding neighborhoods. The Del Paso - Marysville Blvd Action Plan will reflect the City’s commitment to its neighborhoods and will focus on, and be reflective of, the community. It will aim to improve the quality of life and economic opportunity for existing residents and businesses along the corridor, while increasing community ownership and building local capacity. After plan adoption, OIED will deploy implementation grants.

Inclusive ED/Small Business Assistance: Continued work supporting Sacramento’s women and minority business owners with a focus on businesses located on Sacramento’s Neighborhood Commercial Corridors.

Innovation Grants: Ecosystem Building Grants are designed to catalyze innovation in the startup community and build pipelines for entrepreneurs and Event grants focused on fostering knowledge and ideas that inspire entrepreneurship and the growth of innovative businesses and programs. Both grant programs prioritize underserved residents and businesses.

Economic Gardening: Economic Gardening aims to explore innovative ways to support the scaling up and accelerated growth of second-stage companies, these are small businesses well-positioned to experience exponential growth. OIED does targeted outreach in order to recruit a diverse group of business owners.

11 GLOSSARY OF TERMS
As you reflect on and respond to the questions relating to the Budgeting for Equity Tool, please refer to the definitions provided below.

Additional Terms & Definitions
Accessibility: The design, construction, development, and maintenance of facilities, information and communication technology, programs, and services so that all people, including people with disabilities, can fully and independently use them. Accessibility includes the provision of accommodations and modifications to ensure equal access to employment and participation in activities for people with disabilities, the reduction or elimination of physical and attitudinal barriers to equitable opportunities, a commitment to ensuring that people with disabilities can independently access every outward-facing and internal activity or electronic space, and the pursuit of best practices such as universal design. (Source) Anti-racist: An anti-racist is someone who is supporting an antiracist policy through their actions or expressing antiracist ideas. This includes the expression of ideas that racial groups are equals and do not need developing, and supporting policies that reduce racial inequity.

Benefit: An advantage or profit gained from the implementation of a service policy, program, or initiative.

Black, Indigenous, People of Color (BIPOC): ‘Black, Indigenous, People of Color,’ is meant to unite all people of color in the work for liberation while intentionally acknowledging that not all people of color face the same levels of injustice. By specifically naming Black and Indigenous people we are recognizing that Black and Indigenous people face the worst consequences of systemic white supremacy, classism and settler colonialism (Source) Burden: To give someone an unequal, overwhelming share of an undesirable, unpleasant or difficult factor; typically associated with causing inequitable outcomes.

13 Privilege: Unearned social power accorded by the formal and informal institutions of society to ALL members of a dominant group (e.g. white privilege, male privilege, etc.). Privilege is usually invisible to those who have it because we’re taught not to see it, but nevertheless it puts them at an advantage over those who do not have it. A systemic valuing, favoring or enhancing that only certain populations benefit from based on the group of which they are a part. (Adapted from source and source)
Race: A social construct that categorizes individuals based on their physical characteristics, particularly skin and hair texture, and not an actual biological fact. (Source) Racial Equity: A situation that is achieved when people are thriving and race no longer statistically dictates, determines or predicts one’s social outcomes or ability to thrive. (Source) The City of Sacramento affirms racial equity as a core value in which race does not affect life outcomes. We acknowledge historical racial inequities and are committed to transparent, deliberate, and actionable solutions that will remedy those inequities and serve all our diverse communities. (Source)
Racial Equity Accountability: In the context of racial equity work, accountability refers to the ways in which individuals and communities hold themselves to their goals and actions and acknowledge the values and groups to which they are responsible. To be accountable, one must be visible, with a transparent agenda and process. Accountability demands commitment. From a relational point of view, accountability is not always doing it right. Sometimes it’s really about what happens after it’s done wrong. (Source)
Social Vulnerability Index (SVI) Map: SVI - developed by the Center for Disease Control and Prevention's Agency for Toxic Substance and Disease Registry (ATSDR) - uses U.S. Census data to determine the social vulnerability of every Census tract to help public health officials and emergency response partners identify and map the communities that will most likely need support before, during, and after a hazardous event. The SVI ranks each tract on 16 social factors, four related themes, and provides an overall ranking. This map provides information related to the 16 social factors, maps the four SVI themes and overall ranking. (Source)

How did you approach this process? What methodology did you use while considering budget cuts?

Purpose of Budget Reductions

1. Name or Group of Reductions (tie to BCP numbers or totals). If grouped, please share which BCPs and why they are grouped together: CMO BCPs 5 & 6. Grouped together because both are eliminations of vacant positions in OIED.

2. What type of program is this? (Mandated, Discretionary): Discretionary

GF/MU Budget is approximately $5.9M, approximately 88% is staffing.

Priority to retain staff because we value the team and they are delivering the impactful programs funded by grants and special funds.

Given that majority of budget is personnel, looked at cuts that would minimize impacts to programs that help us achieve our inclusive Economic Development goals by analyzing program metrics and data.

The City of Sacramento is committed to growing a strong, inclusive, and vibrant economy.

The Office of Innovation & Economic Development encourages job growth and investment in the City of Sacramento by retaining, attracting, growing, and scaling new and innovative businesses.

The Office is focused on better connecting residents in underserved communities with critical resources and housing, so all residents participate in Sacramento’s economic growth.

In addition to the elimination of vacant positions, the OIED cut also includes liquidation of MYOPs and hiatus from funding MYOPs that have an accrued balance.

2 3. What is the level of impact? (1-4): 1

4. Brief Description of Reduction: Elimination of a Principal Planner (Community Investment- Railyards & Waterfront) and Administrative Technician (Economic Development – Innovation and Entrepreneurship).

5. Department(s) Involved: CMO/OIED

6. Type of Program or Service the budget expense is for: Elimination of two vacant positions.

One position in the Community Investment team (focus on Railyards & Waterfront) and the other to the Economic Development team (with a focus of Innovation and Entrepreneurship).

7. How did you apply your approach to this BCP? These positions were identified because both have been vacant since the 22/23 fiscal year so we have already adjusted staffing to accommodate some, but not all of the workload. The elimination of these positions may have a moderate impact to the service/program delivery. In the case of the Principal Planner, there were two Development Project Managers that worked with this position for several years gaining the knowledge and skills to carry out the work. Both Project Managers have since promoted to Senior Development Project Managers enabling them to pick up some of the workload.

8. What problem or challenge is the Program or Service trying to solve? The Principal Planner position was created to develop a vision for the Railyards and Waterfront in hopes of accelerating the redevelopment of the areas. The redevelopment of these two areas would further enhance the central city as a regional destination, generate jobs, create housing, and therefore generate additional tax revenues for the City. The Administrative Technician position was focused on developing and implementing innovation and entrepreneurship programs to assist Sacramento’s small businesses and innovators.

9. What are the desired program or service outcomes? Increased development and growth that provide business, employment and housing opportunities and increased tax generation for the City.

Which equity opportunity area(s) will this primarily impact? Select all that apply.

Community Access
☐ Access to public spaces (e.g. Libraries,
centers, parks)
☐ Access to public transportation
☐ Access to broadband internet
☐ Access to information in different
languages*
☐ Access to information in different
auditory/visual formats
☐ Access to emergency services for
frontline communities
☐ Access to community involvement in
planning*

Food
☐ Food insecurity*
☐ Malnutrition and chronic health
disparities

4 Public Health
☐ Physical and mental health concerns
☐ Air pollution
☐ Water quality
☐ Unfair siting of infrastructure like
landfills, trash incinerators, wind turbines,
and solar panels
☒ Exacerbating disparities from COVID-19
Cultural Impacts
☐ Loss of important cultural sites
☐ Disruption of cultural practices (in
general)
☐ Loss of culture and spirituality involving
Sacramento cultural sites and/or practices

Housing
☐ Ability to afford disaster preparation and
recovery
☐ Ability to afford relocation costs
☐ Increased housing costs*
☐ Homeless/houseless communities
☐ Un-insured or under-insured community
members to potential damages
Economic Considerations
☒ Loss of jobs/unemployment
☒ Economic recovery
☒ Economic stability
Livability/Cost of Living
☐ High utility costs
☐ Ability to afford HVAC
☐ Unequal energy burden
☐ Those unable to afford living costs*

Other (Please fill in your own)
☐ Increasing access to workforce development and services for Sacramento residents ☐ Increasing access to employment opportunities
☐

5 How does the reduction in the program or service outcomes relate to the selected equity opportunity areas?

The Office of Innovation and Economic Development is focused on growing a strong, inclusive, and vibrant economy. Any changes in our staff levels impact that work. The service impacts expand beyond the two specific areas/programs because we adjust staff to address needs in real time.

The highlighted Equity Opportunity Areas are the primary ones impacted by the elimination of positions, however, due to the variety of work and cross collaboration in OIED, any staffing changes can impact other programs. Other potentially impacted Equity Opportunity Areas have been noted with an *.

6 Section 2: Service Impacts
A spending cut could reduce the quality of service that the City delivers. Collecting data allows you to identify synergies with existing work and unearth opportunities to reduce the perpetuation of historical and present injustice faced by certain communities. Explore the potential impacts of spending cuts by identifying demographics of community members.

Impacts By Demographics
Identify the demographics of residents who may be impacted by the service or program reduction.

☐ Other:
☒ All
☐ No impact in this area

Because our team is flexible and adjusts based on need, any changes in staffing can impact the range of programs we support including small business, workforce, food justice, community investment, community engagement and housing. Despite the elimination of these two positions, most of the OIED programs will continue but may be delivered on a slower timeline. An example of this is that in 2017, the City of Sacramento launched an innovation grant program. There were three rounds of grants leading up to the onset of the COVID-19 Pandemic. In response to the Pandemic and the needs of our businesses and residents, the Office of Innovation and Economic Development shifted staffing to deploy over $80M of CARES and ARPA funding and to deliver other response programs like Great Plates Delivered. In doing so, the annual Innovation Grants were put on hold in 2020 and did not re-launch until 2023. With the elimination of these two positions, there is a high likelihood that we will have to continue to make staffing shifts based on immediate needs which may impact the timing of program delivery.

7 Level of Vulnerability (based on
Sacramento County Social Vulnerability
Index)
Percentile ranking values range from 0 to 1, with
higher values indicating greater vulnerability.
☐ 0.00-0.24
☐ 0.25-0.49
☐ 0.50-0.74
☒ 0.75-1.00
Other Indicators
☐
☐
☐
☐

Section 3: Location Impacts
This section is designed to help understand the geographic character of budget cuts and their potential impacts on vulnerable and already underserved neighborhoods and communities.

Please fill out only those that apply.

List any specific geographic areas your program or service impacts below.

Examples: Districts, Opportunity/Promise Zones, Neighborhoods, Service Districts

Railyards and Waterfront qualify as the following:

HUD Qualified Census Tract (QCT): have 50 percent of households with incomes below 60 percent of the Area Median Gross Income (AMGI) or have a poverty rate of 25 percent or more Opportunity Zone: Low-income communities and certain neighboring areas, defined by population census tracts, could qualify as Opportunity Zones
Promise Zone: HUD designation of high poverty areas
8 Program or Service Geography: Citywide
Examples include internal services like IT, HR, and Fleet management and citywide elected officials. Services that are “geography neutral” usually pose the least risk to equity but could still serve a vulnerable population.

If this is a program or service provided to the entire city with little variance by neighborhood, could vulnerable populations be hurt by the cut?

Program or Service from a Central Location
Examples include building construction plan review and many kinds of licensing. In this case, equity would depend on who the careholders of this service are. For example, for a given type of license, would a decreased level of service adversely impact any of the equity considerations from our definition of equity?
If the program or service is delivered from a central location and available to the community at- large, but is more commonly used by specific segments of the community, are those segments a vulnerable population?
The Innovation & Entrepreneurship position assists with the deployment of programs citywide. Despite the program being delivered citywide, a delay or hiatus of programs could impact Sacramento’s most vulnerable populations. One example of this impact, while the Innovation Grants were on hiatus from 2020-2023, Sacramento continued on its inclusive economic development journey prioritizing and investing in Sacramento’s underserved residents and neighborhoods. The re-launch of the program included equity and inclusion as a core tenet and the scoring rubric and grant awards reflected that priority.

9 Mobile Program or Service
These are services where the staff are mobile and focused on specific neighborhoods.

Examples include EMS units, code enforcement, road patching crews, and litter abatement teams. Cuts in these services could also pose greater risks of inequitable impact.

If this is a mobile program or service that serves a specific community or specific neighborhoods, are those neighborhoods vulnerable?

If this is a program or service delivered at locations distributed throughout the city with a service population local to the site, are the populations served vulnerable?

10 Section 4: Re-Evaluating Key Impacts
Recall the purpose of the program or service budget expense from Step #1 and the budget classification including impact level (1-4).

Do you have a better idea of how neighborhoods and/or populations will benefit and how they will benefit?

Do you have a better idea of how neighborhoods and/or populations will be negatively impacted and how they will be impacted?

The review of program outcomes assisted with the development of proposed budget reductions and the Budget Equity Guide and Resource Tool assisted in retrospectively analyzing the impacts. Because Inclusive Economic Development is at the core of our work, it became evident that any reductions in staffing and programs will have impacts to Sacramento’s vulnerable residents, businesses and neighborhoods.

Unfortunately, Sacramento’s residents or businesses will not benefit from cutting positions in the Office of Innovation and Economic Development. The elimination of staff will change how programs and services are delivered likely resulting in delayed delivery of programs, services and funding. 11 Advancing Equity in FY ’24-‘25
Offer a brief description of the programs and services that are proposed for funding in the FY ’24-’25 budget that advance equity:

The current cohort consists of 18 ambassadors providing language access in over 11 languages.

12 GLOSSARY OF TERMS
As you reflect on and respond to the questions relating to the Budgeting for Equity Tool, please refer to the definitions provided below.

Additional Terms & Definitions
Accessibility: The design, construction, development, and maintenance of facilities, information and communication technology, programs, and services so that all people, including people with disabilities, can fully and independently use them. Accessibility includes the provision of accommodations and modifications to ensure equal access to employment and participation in activities for people with disabilities, the reduction or elimination of physical and attitudinal barriers to equitable opportunities, a commitment to ensuring that people with disabilities can independently access every outward-facing and internal activity or electronic space, and the pursuit of best practices such as universal design. (Source) Anti-racist: An anti-racist is someone who is supporting an antiracist policy through their actions or expressing antiracist ideas. This includes the expression of ideas that racial groups are equals and do not need developing, and supporting policies that reduce racial inequity.

Benefit: An advantage or profit gained from the implementation of a service policy, program, or initiative.

Black, Indigenous, People of Color (BIPOC): ‘Black, Indigenous, People of Color,’ is meant to unite all people of color in the work for liberation while intentionally acknowledging that not all people of color face the same levels of injustice. By specifically naming Black and Indigenous people we are recognizing that Black and Indigenous people face the worst consequences of systemic white supremacy, classism and settler colonialism (Source) Burden: To give someone an unequal, overwhelming share of an undesirable, unpleasant or difficult factor; typically associated with causing inequitable outcomes.

Disparities: A measure that indicates a difference between specific groups or population; the difference is usually unfair. (Source)
Diversity: Each person has layers of diversity that make his/her/their perspective unique. The City of Sacramento defines diversity as the variety of human differences and similarities among people, such as: age, belief system, class/caste, culture, disability, education, ethnicity, gender, gender identity, generation, geography, job role and function, language, marital status, mental health, nationality, native or indigenous origins, parental status, personality type, race, religion, sexual orientation, thinking style, work experience, and work style. 13 Equality: Everyone is treated the same exact way, regardless of need or any other individual difference. (Source)
Equity: Regardless of one’s identity, equity is when all people have just treatment, access to opportunities necessary to satisfy their essential needs, advance their well-being, and achieve their full potential while identifying and eliminating barriers that have prevented the full participation of some groups. Although both promote fairness, equality achieves this through treating everyone the same, regardless of need and circumstances. Equity achieves this through treating people differently dependent on need, circumstance and consideration of historical and systemic inequities. (Adapted from the Government Alliance on Race & Equity definition of racial equality)
Equity Lens/Framework: A way of analyzing policies, practice, and procedures by assessing disparities as well as the needs and assets of underserved communities/populations. (Source) Implicit Bias: Also known as unconscious or hidden bias, biases people are usually unaware of and that operate at the subconscious level. Implicit bias is usually expressed indirectly. (Source) Inclusion: A dynamic state of feeling, belonging, and operating in which diversity is leveraged and valued to create a fair, healthy, and high-performing organization or community. An inclusive culture and environment ensure equitable access to resources and opportunities for all. It also enables individuals and groups to feel safe, respected, heard, engaged, motivated, and valued for who they are. (Source)
Intersectionality: Per Kimberlé Williams Crenshaw, intersectionality is simply a prism to see the interactive effects of various forms of discrimination and disempowerment. It looks at the way that racism, many times, interacts with patriarchy, heterosexism, classism, xenophobia — seeing that the overlapping vulnerabilities created by these systems actually create specific kinds of challenges. “Intersectionality 102,” then, is to say that these distinct problems create challenges for movements that are only organized around these problems as separate and individual. So, when racial justice doesn’t have a critique of patriarchy and homophobia, the particular way that racism is experienced and exacerbated by heterosexism, classism etc., falls outside of our political organizing. It means that significant numbers of people in our communities aren’t being served by social justice frames because they don’t address the particular ways that they’re experiencing discrimination.

14 Privilege: Unearned social power accorded by the formal and informal institutions of society to ALL members of a dominant group (e.g. white privilege, male privilege, etc.). Privilege is usually invisible to those who have it because we’re taught not to see it, but nevertheless it puts them at an advantage over those who do not have it. A systemic valuing, favoring or enhancing that only certain populations benefit from based on the group of which they are a part. (Adapted from source and source)
Race: A social construct that categorizes individuals based on their physical characteristics, particularly skin and hair texture, and not an actual biological fact. (Source) Racial Equity: A situation that is achieved when people are thriving and race no longer statistically dictates, determines or predicts one’s social outcomes or ability to thrive. (Source) The City of Sacramento affirms racial equity as a core value in which race does not affect life outcomes. We acknowledge historical racial inequities and are committed to transparent, deliberate, and actionable solutions that will remedy those inequities and serve all our diverse communities. (Source)
Racial Equity Accountability: In the context of racial equity work, accountability refers to the ways in which individuals and communities hold themselves to their goals and actions and acknowledge the values and groups to which they are responsible. To be accountable, one must be visible, with a transparent agenda and process. Accountability demands commitment. From a relational point of view, accountability is not always doing it right. Sometimes it’s really about what happens after it’s done wrong. (Source)
Social Vulnerability Index (SVI) Map: SVI - developed by the Center for Disease Control and Prevention's Agency for Toxic Substance and Disease Registry (ATSDR) - uses U.S. Census data to determine the social vulnerability of every Census tract to help public health officials and emergency response partners identify and map the communities that will most likely need support before, during, and after a hazardous event. The SVI ranks each tract on 16 social factors, four related themes, and provides an overall ranking. This map provides information related to the 16 social factors, maps the four SVI themes and overall ranking. (Source)

How did you approach this process? What methodology did you use while considering budget cuts?

The Diversity, Outreach, and Recruitment Division is a discretionary program within the Department. This recommendation is in line with the City Manager's Directed Budget Reduction Plan. 2 Section 1: Goal Setting, Budget Classification, & Project Outcomes To get started, identify goals and project outcomes of the service or project being reduced or cut. Consider explaining how your service or project connects to the City’s goals and helps to define the potential reduction/cut’s impact on different communities.

Purpose of Budget Reductions

1. Name or Group of Reductions (tie to BCP numbers or totals). If grouped, please share which BCPs and why they are grouped together: BCP No. 4 - The Sacramento Fire Department proposed to eliminate the Diversity, Outreach, and Recruitment Division (DOR) program.

2. What type of program is this? (Mandated, Discretionary): Discretionary

3. What is the level of impact? (1-4): Level 4 Severe Impacts to the community

4. Brief Description of Reduction: Elimination of the Fire Diversity Outreach and Recruitment Program. The elimination of this program would affect the following:
• All local/regional recruitment events at high schools, colleges, local organizations and council member events.
• All local/regional youth programs, including High School programs, firefighter youth academy, girls fire camp, and any future youth program expansion. • All Fire Department hiring pipeline programs, including the Sacramento Fire Reserves and EMS Trainee.

5. Department(s) Involved: Sacramento Fire Department

6. Type of Program or Service the budget expense is for: The DOR programs were developed to meet the needs of the community and populations in terms of recruiting potential fire department employees, assisting with community education, safety, and engagement activities, promoting career awareness and exploration through mention, and facilitating career preparation and training pathways through work-based learning and postsecondary education.

7. How did you apply your approach to this BCP? A set of reductions within the Fire Department was decided upon as a means of addressing structural imbalances within the department after reviewing all priorities. Among the factors considered by the Fire Department when making the decision to reduce the number of employees, budget 3 constraints, operational efficiency, and public safety concerns. The department's priorities were carefully analyzed, and strategic decisions were made to address structural imbalances while minimizing the negative consequences for the community.

8. What problem or challenge is the Program or Service trying to solve? The DOR programs were developed to meet the initiatives from the Office of Equity & Diversity Citywide Race and Gender Equity Action Plan, as adopted by council, which includes:
• Recruitment at community education, safety, and engagement events. • Career awareness and exploration pathways through mentoring, and career readiness workshops.
• Career preparation and training pathways via work-based learning and postsecondary education.

However, without this program, the above initiatives will not be met.

9. What are the desired program or service outcomes? The SFD must continue to work on diversity, equity, and inclusion issues as our population grows more diverse. Today, several structural barriers prevent certain races, genders, or nationalities from achieving success.

These barriers contribute to racial, ethnic, and economic inequalities. As part of its mission, the DOR analyzes and finds methods to remove these barriers by creating high-quality programs that facilitate access to desirable and lucrative SFD careers for all individuals, regardless of race, gender, and ethnicity. The DOR program would not be able to provide these services without it. In addition, DOR program staff have participated in the Regional Diversity Committee, providing a regional perspective on diversity issues.

Our strategies to achieve race and gender equity provide programs and support to ensure educational opportunities in our community. We are creating career pipelines for vulnerable youth & young adults, developing workforce training programs for future placement in our vocation through paid internships, and providing career development and readiness to achieve high-paying positions in the SFD.

Economists, business leaders, and elected officials increasingly recognize that racial and economic equity and inclusion drive sustained economic growth. Continued fiscal support of the DOR programs will assist in changing the culture within the SFD. It will have long- term benefits for improving economic outcomes within our diverse City while employing a workforce that reflects the community we serve – to serve our community better.

4 Equity Opportunity Areas
Equity Opportunity Areas are examples of potential equity impacts that were developed by engaging community members. Consider taking this thinking into all follow-up tasks to ensure you are centering the equity opportunities you identified.

Which equity opportunity area(s) will this primarily impact? Select all that apply.

Human/Social Services
☒ Impact on services for Sacramento
residents
☒ Disproportionate distribution of
resources to frontline communities
☒ Disruption of services to frontline
communities
☐ Impact on social services provided by
religious non-profit organizations
Mobility
☐ Those unable to afford transportation
costs
☐ Flooding of critical road networks
☐ Mobility limitations during heat
waves/storms

Food
☐ Food insecurity
☐ Malnutrition and chronic health
disparities

5 Public Health
☒ Physical and mental health concerns
☐ Air pollution
☐ Water quality
☐ Unfair siting of infrastructure like
landfills, trash incinerators, wind turbines,
and solar panels
☒ Exacerbating disparities from COVID-19
Cultural Impacts
☐ Loss of important cultural sites
☐ Disruption of cultural practices (in
general)
☐ Loss of culture and spirituality involving
Sacramento cultural sites and/or practices

Housing
☐ Ability to afford disaster preparation and
recovery
☐ Ability to afford relocation costs
☐ Increased housing costs
☐ Homeless/houseless communities
☐ Un-insured or under-insured community
members to potential damages
Economic Considerations
☒ Loss of jobs/unemployment
☒ Economic recovery
☒ Economic stability
Livability/Cost of Living
☐ High utility costs
☐ Ability to afford HVAC
☐ Unequal energy burden
☒ Those unable to afford living costs

Other (Please fill in your own)
☐
☐
☐

6 How does the reduction in the program or service outcomes relate to the selected equity opportunity areas?

We need to continue addressing these issues as our population becomes more diverse. Currently, many structural barriers prevent certain races, genders, and nationalities from achieving success. Inequities in employment, income, and wealth result from this cycle. Through the creation of high-quality programs that facilitate the creation of desirable and lucrative careers within the Sacramento Fire Department, the DOR examines and identifies ways to remove these barriers in order to improve economic security in Sacramento.

As part of our strategy to achieve equality based on race and gender, we ensure our community has access to education. Among our objectives are building career pipelines for young people, developing workforce training programs through paid internships, and developing career readiness programs for high-paying positions in the SFD.

It is becoming increasingly clear that equity and inclusion are crucial to sustainable economic growth. SFD can change its culture over time by supporting DOR programs financially. In addition to improving long- term economic outcomes, we expect it to result in hiring a workforce that represents our diverse community – thus better serving our community.

Moreover, prioritizing equity and inclusion in the workplace also has a positive impact on individuals' mental and physical health. It can result in reduced stress levels, increased job satisfaction, and overall better well-being when employees feel valued and included at work. Our goal at the SFD is to promote economic security, health, and happiness for our community members by creating an inclusive and diverse environment. In addition, prioritizing equity and inclusion within the SFD also impacts the quality of services provided to residents. It is easier to understand the unique needs and perspectives of different individuals when the workforce represents the diverse community it serves. By doing so, residents will experience better service delivery that is culturally sensitive and effective. 7 Section 2: Service Impacts
A spending cut could reduce the quality of service that the City delivers. Collecting data allows you to identify synergies with existing work and unearth opportunities to reduce the perpetuation of historical and present injustice faced by certain communities. Explore the potential impacts of spending cuts by identifying demographics of community members.

Impacts By Demographics
Identify the demographics of residents who may be impacted by the service or program reduction.

☐ Other:
☒ All
☐ No impact in this area

The following reduction would affect the following programs if approved to eliminate:
• All local/regional recruitment events at high schools, colleges, local organizations and council member events will be terminated.
• All local/regional youth programs, including High school programs, firefighter youth academy, girls fire camp, and any future youth program expansion will be terminated. • All hiring pipeline programs, including the Sacramento Fire Reserves and EMS Trainee program will be terminated.

8 Level of Vulnerability (based on
Sacramento County Social Vulnerability
Index)
Percentile ranking values range from 0 to 1, with
higher values indicating greater vulnerability.
☐ 0.00-0.24
☐ 0.25-0.49
☐ 0.50-0.74
☒ 0.75-1.00
Other Indicators
☐
☐
☐
☐

Section 3: Location Impacts
This section is designed to help understand the geographic character of budget cuts and their potential impacts on vulnerable and already underserved neighborhoods and communities.

Please fill out only those that apply.

List any specific geographic areas your program or service impacts below.

Examples: Districts, Opportunity/Promise Zones, Neighborhoods, Service Districts

It will include all geographic areas, including districts, opportunity zones, neighborhoods, service districts, and communities.
9 Program or Service Geography: Citywide
Examples include internal services like IT, HR, and Fleet management and citywide elected officials. Services that are “geography neutral” usually pose the least risk to equity but could still serve a vulnerable population.

If this is a program or service provided to the entire city with little variance by neighborhood, could vulnerable populations be hurt by the cut?

Program or Service from a Central Location
Examples include building construction plan review and many kinds of licensing. In this case, equity would depend on who the careholders of this service are. For example, for a given type of license, would a decreased level of service adversely impact any of the equity considerations from our definition of equity?
If the program or service is delivered from a central location and available to the community at- large, but is more commonly used by specific segments of the community, are those segments a vulnerable population?
There are a number of vulnerable populations that will be harmed by the cut. These populations rely on government programs for support, such as recruitment events, youth programs, and employment pipelines. Without the necessary support, recruitment events will struggle to reach and engage potential candidates, youth programs will be limited in their ability to provide resources and opportunities for young individuals, and employment pipelines will suffer from a lack of funding and support to connect job seekers with meaningful employment opportunities.

10 Mobile Program or Service
These are services where the staff are mobile and focused on specific neighborhoods.

Examples include EMS units, code enforcement, road patching crews, and litter abatement teams. Cuts in these services could also pose greater risks of inequitable impact.

If this is a mobile program or service that serves a specific community or specific neighborhoods, are those neighborhoods vulnerable?

If this is a program or service delivered at locations distributed throughout the city with a service population local to the site, are the populations served vulnerable? The DOR program is available to the entire community in multiple different schools, events, and programs. The DOR program is implemented in schools through curriculum integration, where students learn about the principles and practices of the program. It is also present in community events, where volunteers engage with participants and promote the values of the program. Additionally, the DOR program is integrated into various programs, such as after-school activities and workshops, to ensure widespread accessibility.

The DOR program is available to the entire community in multiple different schools, events, and programs. The DOR program is implemented in schools through curriculum integration, where students learn about the principles and practices of the program. It is also present in community events, where volunteers engage with participants and promote the values of the program. Additionally, the DOR program is integrated into various programs, such as after-school activities and workshops, to ensure widespread accessibility.

11 Section 4: Re-Evaluating Key Impacts
Recall the purpose of the program or service budget expense from Step #1 and the budget classification including impact level (1-4).

Do you have a better idea of how neighborhoods and/or populations will benefit and how they will benefit?

Do you have a better idea of how neighborhoods and/or populations will be negatively impacted and how they will be impacted?
Our city's future depends on how we respond to changing demographics. As urgent, moral, and economic imperatives, the Sacramento Fire Department's Diversity, Outreach, and Recruitment Division must maintain programs aimed at dismantling structural racism, promoting equity, and ensuring equitable inclusion. The Sacramento Fire Department has implemented several specific programs to engage the community, train firefighters on cultural competency, and recruit underrepresented communities.

Among our many successful programs are our Youth Academy for 2021-2022 and the Girls Fire Camp for 2022-2023. We continue to grow and expand the Volunteer Reserve Program, Emergency Medical Internship Program, and Career Technical Education (CTE) Program in high schools. We also actively participate in recruitment efforts by reaching out to the Sacramento community. As a result of these programs, a more diverse and inclusive fire department will be developed that reflects the demographics of the city and ensures equal opportunity for everyone. Keeping youth and adults in our community engaged with enriching programs and events is one of the many responsibilities of the Diversity, Outreach, and Recruitment (DOR) Division. Without these programs, the community would lose valuable opportunities for engagement and enrichment. The absence of the Youth Academy, Girls Fire Camp, and other initiatives would result in a decrease in the ability to inspire and empower youth, hindering their personal and professional development. Additionally, the lack of diversity and inclusion within the fire department would persist, leading to a missed opportunity for representation and equal opportunity for all members of the community.

No neighborhoods and populations will benefit.
12 Advancing Equity in FY ’24-‘25
Offer a brief description of the programs and services that are proposed for funding in the FY ’24-’25 budget that advance equity:

Our city's future depends on our response to changing demographics. As part of its Diversity, Outreach, and Recruitment Division, Sacramento Fire Department must maintain programs aimed at dismantling structural racism, advancing equity, and ensuring just and fair inclusion as urgent, moral, and economic imperatives. Some of the specific programs implemented by the Sacramento Fire Department include community engagement initiatives, cultural competency training for firefighters, and targeted recruitment efforts in underrepresented communities.

These programs aim to foster a more diverse and inclusive fire department that reflects the demographics of the city and ensures equal opportunities for all.

Studies have shown that diverse and inclusive workplaces lead to higher levels of innovation, creativity, and productivity. When individuals from different backgrounds and perspectives come together, they bring a wide range of ideas and experiences, which can drive economic growth and success. By ensuring that all individuals have equal access to opportunities and resources, regardless of their race, gender, or ethnicity, the Sacramento Fire Department's programs not only promote social justice but also contribute to the overall economic security and prosperity of the city.

These career pathways for vulnerable youth and young adults have the potential to create transformative change in our community. By offering paid internships and workforce training programs, we are not only providing valuable skills and opportunities for these individuals but also breaking the cycle of poverty and inequality. This investment in their future not only benefits them personally but also contributes to a more diverse and inclusive workforce, fostering innovation and driving economic growth in our city.

Racial and economic equity and inclusion drive sustained economic growth, according to economists, business leaders, and elected officials. By continuing to support DOR programs fiscally, the SFD will be able to alter its culture. By employing a workforce that is representative of our diverse community, we will be able to provide better service to our community in the long run.

13 GLOSSARY OF TERMS
As you reflect on and respond to the questions relating to the Budgeting for Equity Tool, please refer to the definitions provided below.

Additional Terms & Definitions
Accessibility: The design, construction, development, and maintenance of facilities, information and communication technology, programs, and services so that all people, including people with disabilities, can fully and independently use them. Accessibility includes the provision of accommodations and modifications to ensure equal access to employment and participation in activities for people with disabilities, the reduction or elimination of physical and attitudinal barriers to equitable opportunities, a commitment to ensuring that people with disabilities can independently access every outward-facing and internal activity or electronic space, and the pursuit of best practices such as universal design. (Source) Anti-racist: An anti-racist is someone who is supporting an antiracist policy through their actions or expressing antiracist ideas. This includes the expression of ideas that racial groups are equals and do not need developing, and supporting policies that reduce racial inequity.

Benefit: An advantage or profit gained from the implementation of a service policy, program, or initiative.

Black, Indigenous, People of Color (BIPOC): ‘Black, Indigenous, People of Color,’ is meant to unite all people of color in the work for liberation while intentionally acknowledging that not all people of color face the same levels of injustice. By specifically naming Black and Indigenous people we are recognizing that Black and Indigenous people face the worst consequences of systemic white supremacy, classism and settler colonialism (Source) Burden: To give someone an unequal, overwhelming share of an undesirable, unpleasant or difficult factor; typically associated with causing inequitable outcomes.

Disparities: A measure that indicates a difference between specific groups or population; the difference is usually unfair. (Source)
Diversity: Each person has layers of diversity that make his/her/their perspective unique. The City of Sacramento defines diversity as the variety of human differences and similarities among people, such as: age, belief system, class/caste, culture, disability, education, ethnicity, gender, gender identity, generation, geography, job role and function, language, marital status, mental health, nationality, native or indigenous origins, parental status, personality type, race, religion, sexual orientation, thinking style, work experience, and work style. 14 Equality: Everyone is treated the same exact way, regardless of need or any other individual difference. (Source)
Equity: Regardless of one’s identity, equity is when all people have just treatment, access to opportunities necessary to satisfy their essential needs, advance their well-being, and achieve their full potential while identifying and eliminating barriers that have prevented the full participation of some groups. Although both promote fairness, equality achieves this through treating everyone the same, regardless of need and circumstances. Equity achieves this through treating people differently dependent on need, circumstance and consideration of historical and systemic inequities. (Adapted from the Government Alliance on Race & Equity definition of racial equality)
Equity Lens/Framework: A way of analyzing policies, practice, and procedures by assessing disparities as well as the needs and assets of underserved communities/populations. (Source) Implicit Bias: Also known as unconscious or hidden bias, biases people are usually unaware of and that operate at the subconscious level. Implicit bias is usually expressed indirectly. (Source) Inclusion: A dynamic state of feeling, belonging, and operating in which diversity is leveraged and valued to create a fair, healthy, and high-performing organization or community. An inclusive culture and environment ensure equitable access to resources and opportunities for all. It also enables individuals and groups to feel safe, respected, heard, engaged, motivated, and valued for who they are. (Source)
Intersectionality: Per Kimberlé Williams Crenshaw, intersectionality is simply a prism to see the interactive effects of various forms of discrimination and disempowerment. It looks at the way that racism, many times, interacts with patriarchy, heterosexism, classism, xenophobia — seeing that the overlapping vulnerabilities created by these systems actually create specific kinds of challenges. “Intersectionality 102,” then, is to say that these distinct problems create challenges for movements that are only organized around these problems as separate and individual. So, when racial justice doesn’t have a critique of patriarchy and homophobia, the particular way that racism is experienced and exacerbated by heterosexism, classism etc., falls outside of our political organizing. It means that significant numbers of people in our communities aren’t being served by social justice frames because they don’t address the particular ways that they’re experiencing discrimination.

15 Privilege: Unearned social power accorded by the formal and informal institutions of society to ALL members of a dominant group (e.g. white privilege, male privilege, etc.). Privilege is usually invisible to those who have it because we’re taught not to see it, but nevertheless it puts them at an advantage over those who do not have it. A systemic valuing, favoring or enhancing that only certain populations benefit from based on the group of which they are a part. (Adapted from source and source)
Race: A social construct that categorizes individuals based on their physical characteristics, particularly skin and hair texture, and not an actual biological fact. (Source) Racial Equity: A situation that is achieved when people are thriving and race no longer statistically dictates, determines or predicts one’s social outcomes or ability to thrive. (Source) The City of Sacramento affirms racial equity as a core value in which race does not affect life outcomes. We acknowledge historical racial inequities and are committed to transparent, deliberate, and actionable solutions that will remedy those inequities and serve all our diverse communities. (Source)
Racial Equity Accountability: In the context of racial equity work, accountability refers to the ways in which individuals and communities hold themselves to their goals and actions and acknowledge the values and groups to which they are responsible. To be accountable, one must be visible, with a transparent agenda and process. Accountability demands commitment. From a relational point of view, accountability is not always doing it right. Sometimes it’s really about what happens after it’s done wrong. (Source)
Social Vulnerability Index (SVI) Map: SVI - developed by the Center for Disease Control and Prevention's Agency for Toxic Substance and Disease Registry (ATSDR) - uses U.S. Census data to determine the social vulnerability of every Census tract to help public health officials and emergency response partners identify and map the communities that will most likely need support before, during, and after a hazardous event. The SVI ranks each tract on 16 social factors, four related themes, and provides an overall ranking. This map provides information related to the 16 social factors, maps the four SVI themes and overall ranking. (Source)

How did you approach this process? What methodology did you use while considering budget cuts?

As per the memo dated November 30, 2023: FY2024/25 Budget Reduction Plan, in an effort to address the structural imbalance projected in the City’s General/Measure U (G/MU) Fund for the upcoming fiscal year, the City Manager has directed departments to develop a reduction plan that reduces the net reliance of departments on the G/MU Fund by up to 15 percent as part of the approved budget for FY2023/24. According to the City Manager, the following reductions should be prioritized as follows:
• Revenue Enhancement/Discretionary Program Reduction
• Mandated Program Delivery Change
• Mandated Program Reduction
A set of reductions within the Fire Department was decided upon as a means of addressing structural imbalances within the department after reviewing all priorities. Among the factors considered by the Fire Department when making the decision to reduce the number of employees, are budget constraints, operational efficiency, and public safety concerns. The department's priorities were carefully analyzed, and strategic decisions were made to address structural imbalances while minimizing the negative consequences for the community. Among the recommendations of the Department recommends using funding from the IGT/GEMT (Intergovernmental transfer/Ground Emergency Medical Transportation) carryforward schedule to cover the costs of the first six months of the Single Role (EMT and Paramedic) positions. This recommendation is based on the request of the City Manager’s Directed Budget Reduction Plan, to address the structural imbalance the G/MU, using IGT/GEMT carryforward balance to fund these FTE’s for half year will help the Department reach its 15% goal. 2 Section 1: Goal Setting, Budget Classification, & Project Outcomes To get started, identify goals and project outcomes of the service or project being reduced or cut. Consider explaining how your service or project connects to the City’s goals and helps to define the potential reduction/cut’s impact on different communities.

Purpose of Budget Reductions

1. Name or Group of Reductions (tie to BCP numbers or totals). If grouped, please share which BCPs and why they are grouped together: BCP No. 2 - Single Role Position Funding

2. What type of program is this? (Mandated, Discretionary): Discretionary – requested by Council

3. What is the level of impact? (1-4): Level 4 Severe Impacts to the community

4. Brief Description of Reduction: This BCP was written with the intention of proposing alternative, limited-term funding for 6 months. The Sacramento Fire Department Single Role program allows the fire department to dispatch emergency services without also having to send a fire suppression team. As an alternative to cutting the Single Role program in its entirety, staff is proposing to use the Intergovernmental Transfer Commitment of the General Fund Balance as a means of compensating the cost of labor associated with a total of 20.0 full-time employees (Sacramento Fire EMTs) and a total of

20.0 full-time employees (Sacramento Fire Paramedics) for six (6) months.).

5. Department(s) Involved: Sacramento Fire Department

6. Type of Program or Service the budget expense is for: The Single Role Program (SRP) removes current barriers with past practices associated with entry into the fire department and a long-term, sustainable career pathway within the fire department by creating two new fire department job classifications: Sacramento Fire EMT (SFE) and Sacramento Fire Paramedic (SFP). Some additional barriers the program removes are a flexible work schedule, conducive to family life, not required to be a firefighter, and competitive pay and benefits. The SFE and SFP job classification requirements and testing process allow for an easier pathway into the fire department with the goal of recruiting and retaining a more diverse workforce and create a new, continuous pathway into the fire departments through already diverse existing programs: Sacramento Intern Program and Sacramento Fire Reserve Program. Data associated with recruitment, hiring, retention, and diversity will be recorded, tracked, and compared with historical fire department data to determine 3 if these goals are being achieved through the Diversity, Outreach, and Recruitment (DOR) Division.

The Department is requesting to use existing IGT/GEMT carryforward schedule funding to cover half a year of existing costs for the 20 FTE’s Sacramento Fire EMT’s and 20 FTE’s Sacramento Fire Paramedics for the Single Role program. This is a one-time request. The funding recommendation would reduce the IGT/GEMT Carryforward schedule in the General Fund (1001) for a total of $2,235,520.

7. How did you apply your approach to this BCP? A set of reductions within the Fire Department was decided upon as a means of addressing structural imbalances within the department after reviewing all priorities. Among the factors considered by the Fire Department when making the decision to reduce the number of employees, budget constraints, operational efficiency, and public safety concerns. The department's priorities were carefully analyzed, and strategic decisions were made to address structural imbalances while minimizing the negative consequences for the community.

8. What problem or challenge is the Program or Service trying to solve? The Single Role Program (SRP) has a direct impact on the life/safety of our firefighters and citizens, as well as reducing risk/liability exposure to the city. As a result of the Single Role Program, the fire department can add additional resources to the system when they are unable to adequately and effectively handle the current volume of calls. Furthermore, the approval of the SRP will allow a proper supervision program to be established which will significantly reduce the city's risk/liability exposure. In addition, the implementation of the Single Role Program ensures community equity by distributing resources more evenly across different areas of the city. This helps to ensure that all citizens have equal access to timely and effective firefighting services, regardless of their location.

9. What are the desired program or service outcomes? With the Single Role Program, the fire department will be in better alignment with the city's workforce development initiatives. The SRP will be administered by the EMS Division, which manages the current ALS program. As a result of this partnership, the EMS Division and ALS program will gain the necessary administrative infrastructure, and operational, administrative, and logistical support necessary to ensure the ALS program's success.

Which equity opportunity area(s) will this primarily impact? Select all that apply.

Community Access
☐ Access to public spaces (e.g. Libraries,
centers, parks)
☐ Access to public transportation
☐ Access to broadband internet
☒ Access to information in different
languages
☐ Access to information in different
auditory/visual formats
☒ Access to emergency services for
frontline communities
☐ Access to community involvement in
planning

Human/Social Services
☒ Impact on services for Sacramento
residents
☐ Disproportionate distribution of
resources to frontline communities
☒ Disruption of services to frontline
communities
☐ Impact on social services provided by
religious non-profit organizations
Mobility
☒ Those unable to afford transportation
costs
☐ Flooding of critical road networks
☐ Mobility limitations during heat
waves/storms

Food
☐ Food insecurity
☐ Malnutrition and chronic health
disparities

5 Public Health
☒ Physical and mental health concerns
☐ Air pollution
☐ Water quality
☐ Unfair siting of infrastructure like
landfills, trash incinerators, wind turbines,
and solar panels
☐ Exacerbating disparities from COVID-19
Cultural Impacts
☐ Loss of important cultural sites
☐ Disruption of cultural practices (in
general)
☐ Loss of culture and spirituality involving
Sacramento cultural sites and/or practices

Housing
☐ Ability to afford disaster preparation and
recovery
☐ Ability to afford relocation costs
☐ Increased housing costs
☐ Homeless/houseless communities
☐ Un-insured or under-insured community
members to potential damages
Economic Considerations
☒ Loss of jobs/unemployment
☒ Economic recovery
☐ Economic stability
Livability/Cost of Living
☐ High utility costs
☐ Ability to afford HVAC
☐ Unequal energy burden
☒ Those unable to afford living costs

Other (Please fill in your own)
☐ Increases workforce and pipeline entry into fire service ☐
☐

6 How does the reduction in the program or service outcomes relate to the selected equity opportunity areas?

In addition to being sustainable in the future, the fire department will also be able to meet the community's current needs with a more responsive emergency service delivery model. By implementing the Single Role Program and providing adequate emergency medical services, the fire department will be able to address the needs of the under-served population, ensuring their safety and well-being. This initiative will bridge the gap in access to quality healthcare and contribute to a healthier and more equitable community. It is recommended that funds from the IGT/GEMT carryforward schedule be used to cover the first six months of the Single Role (EMT and Paramedic) positions, ensuring that the community receives timely and lifesaving assistance during emergencies. Additionally, the funding of the Single Role Program impacts the City of Sacramento's social services as well. To maintain a healthy and thriving community, emergency medical services are essential, as they provide rapid response and assistance when necessary. Sacramento's economy may also be adversely affected if the Single Role Program costs are not funded. A decrease in emergency medical services could result in higher insurance rates for residents and businesses, as well as a decrease in property values. In addition, a lack of adequate emergency services could deter new businesses from investing in the area, reducing economic growth. Reliable emergency services play a vital role in the stability and desirability of the housing market in Sacramento. Without adequate emergency medical services, the safety and security of residents are compromised, leading to a decrease in property values and a decline in potential homebuyers. 7 Section 2: Service Impacts
A spending cut could reduce the quality of service that the City delivers. Collecting data allows you to identify synergies with existing work and unearth opportunities to reduce the perpetuation of historical and present injustice faced by certain communities. Explore the potential impacts of spending cuts by identifying demographics of community members.

Impacts By Demographics
Identify the demographics of residents who may be impacted by the service or program reduction.

☐ Other:
☒ All
☐ No impact in this area

The potential for reducing fire department services in the City of Sacramento could result in increased response times, fewer resources, and fewer paramedics and EMTs available for emergency response. This could lead to an increase in injuries, as well as a decrease in the quality of life for citizens. Vulnerable groups, such as the elderly and those with disabilities may be particularly affected by the reduction the single role program. Without timely and adequate response, their safety and wellbeing could be compromised, putting them at a higher risk of harm during emergencies. Furthermore, the inability of some residents to afford the rising costs of living in Sacramento may exacerbate the consequences of reduced fire department services. This could create a dangerous situation where individuals are unable to access the necessary assistance during emergencies, further jeopardizing their safety and potentially leading to tragic outcomes.
8 Level of Vulnerability (based on
Sacramento County Social Vulnerability
Index)
Percentile ranking values range from 0 to 1, with
higher values indicating greater vulnerability.
☐ 0.00-0.24
☐ 0.25-0.49
☐ 0.50-0.74
☒ 0.75-1.00
Other Indicators
☐
☐
☐
☐

Section 3: Location Impacts
This section is designed to help understand the geographic character of budget cuts and their potential impacts on vulnerable and already underserved neighborhoods and communities.

Please fill out only those that apply.

List any specific geographic areas your program or service impacts below.

Examples: Districts, Opportunity/Promise Zones, Neighborhoods, Service Districts

The potential for reducing fire department services in the City of Sacramento could have location impacts to the underserved neighborhoods. Reducing fire department services in underserved neighborhoods could have devastating consequences, as these communities often face higher risks of fire hazards due to inadequate infrastructure, limited access to resources, and socioeconomic disparities. The lack of timely emergency response could further exacerbate the already vulnerable situation, potentially leading to injuries and loss of lives. Not funding the Single Role Program could result in longer response times and higher costs of insurance for residents and businesses. Additionally, fewer firefighters could lead to decreased morale and an increase in early retirements.

9 Program or Service Geography: Citywide
Examples include internal services like IT, HR, and Fleet management and citywide elected officials. Services that are “geography neutral” usually pose the least risk to equity but could still serve a vulnerable population.

If this is a program or service provided to the entire city with little variance by neighborhood, could vulnerable populations be hurt by the cut?

Program or Service from a Central Location
Examples include building construction plan review and many kinds of licensing. In this case, equity would depend on who the careholders of this service are. For example, for a given type of license, would a decreased level of service adversely impact any of the equity considerations from our definition of equity?
If the program or service is delivered from a central location and available to the community at- large, but is more commonly used by specific segments of the community, are those segments a vulnerable population?
The potential for reducing fire department services in the City of Sacramento could have location impacts throughout the City. The potential reduction in fire department services in the City of Sacramento could have wide-ranging impacts regardless of location. There are no geographical boundaries, service boundaries, or neighborhood boundaries when it comes to emergencies. These impacts may include delayed emergency response times, heightened vulnerability to loss of life, and a general decline in safety and security for both residents and businesses.

The potential reduction in fire department services in the City of Sacramento could have wide-ranging impacts regardless of location. There are no geographical boundaries, service boundaries, or neighborhood boundaries when it comes to emergencies. These impacts may include delayed emergency response times, heightened vulnerability to loss of life, and a general decline in safety and security for both residents and businesses.
10 Mobile Program or Service
These are services where the staff are mobile and focused on specific neighborhoods.

Examples include EMS units, code enforcement, road patching crews, and litter abatement teams. Cuts in these services could also pose greater risks of inequitable impact.

If this is a mobile program or service that serves a specific community or specific neighborhoods, are those neighborhoods vulnerable?

If this is a program or service delivered at locations distributed throughout the city with a service population local to the site, are the populations served vulnerable? Not funding the Single Role Program could have wide-ranging impacts on vulnerable populations due to emergency medical accessibility. Limited emergency medical accessibility can result in delayed or inadequate treatment for individuals in critical condition, potentially leading to increased morbidity and mortality rates. Mobile emergency services improve the community by providing timely responses to medical emergencies, reducing costs associated with transport, and allowing individuals to receive care in a familiar environment. Furthermore, marginalized communities, who already face barriers to healthcare, will be disproportionately affected, exacerbating existing health disparities and widening the gap in healthcare access. This can have a ripple effect, leading to long-term economic costs and a decrease in overall quality of life. Moreover, inadequate access to medical care can lead to an increase in healthcare costs as more people require long-term treatment or care.

Not funding the Single Role Program could have wide-ranging impacts on vulnerable populations due to emergency medical accessibility. Limited emergency medical accessibility can result in delayed or inadequate treatment for individuals in critical condition, potentially leading to increased morbidity and mortality rates. Mobile emergency services improve the community by providing timely responses to medical emergencies, reducing costs associated with transport, and allowing individuals to receive care in a familiar environment. Furthermore, marginalized communities, who already face barriers to healthcare, will be disproportionately affected, exacerbating existing health disparities and widening the gap in healthcare access. This can have a ripple effect, leading to long-term economic costs and a decrease in overall quality of life. Moreover, inadequate access to medical care can lead to an increase in healthcare costs as more people require long-term treatment or care. 11 Section 4: Re-Evaluating Key Impacts
Recall the purpose of the program or service budget expense from Step #1 and the budget classification including impact level (1-4).

Do you have a better idea of how neighborhoods and/or populations will benefit and how they will benefit?

Do you have a better idea of how neighborhoods and/or populations will be negatively impacted and how they will be impacted?

The fire department will be able to address the needs of the underserved population by implementing the Single Role Program and providing adequate emergency medical services in order to ensure their safety and well-being. In addition to bridging the gap between quality healthcare access and a healthier and more equitable community, this initiative will also contribute to a stronger and more equitable community. The Single Role Program assigns dedicated emergency medical responders to focus solely on providing medical services to the underserved population. By doing so, it ensures that these individuals receive the necessary care in a timely manner, reducing response times and improving health outcomes.

This targeted approach not only addresses the specific needs of the underserved population but also promotes inclusivity and equality within the community. To ensure that the community receives timely and lifesaving assistance during emergencies, it is recommended that funds from the IGT/GEMT carryforward schedule be used to cover the first six months of the Single Role (EMT and Paramedic) positions. This will ensure that the community has access to lifesaving medical treatment in an emergency situation.

12 Advancing Equity in FY ’24-‘25
Offer a brief description of the programs and services that are proposed for funding in the FY ’24-’25 budget that advance equity:

The Single Role Program, the fire department will be in better alignment with the city's workforce development initiatives. The SRP will be administered by the EMS Division, which manages the current ALS program. As a result of this partnership, the EMS Division and ALS program will gain the necessary administrative infrastructure, and operational, administrative, and logistical support necessary to ensure the ALS program's success. In addition to being sustainable in the future, the fire department will also be able to meet the community's current needs with a more responsive emergency service delivery model. By implementing the Single Role Program and providing adequate emergency medical services, the fire department will be able to address the needs of the under-served population, ensuring their safety and well-being. This initiative will bridge the gap in access to quality healthcare and contribute to a healthier and more equitable community. It is recommended that funds from the IGT/GEMT carryforward schedule be used to cover the first six months of the Single Role (EMT and Paramedic) positions, ensuring that the community receives timely and lifesaving assistance during emergencies. Additionally, the funding of the Single Role Program impacts the City of Sacramento's social services as well. To maintain a healthy and thriving community, emergency medical services are essential, as they provide rapid response and assistance when necessary.

Sacramento's economy may also be adversely affected if the Single Role Program costs are not funded. A decrease in emergency medical services could result in higher insurance rates for residents and businesses, as well as a decrease in property values. In addition, a lack of adequate emergency services could deter new businesses from investing in the area, reducing economic growth. Reliable emergency services play a vital role in the stability and desirability of the housing market in Sacramento. Without adequate emergency medical services, the safety and security of residents are compromised, leading to a decrease in property values and a decline in potential homebuyers.

13 GLOSSARY OF TERMS
As you reflect on and respond to the questions relating to the Budgeting for Equity Tool, please refer to the definitions provided below.

Additional Terms & Definitions
Accessibility: The design, construction, development, and maintenance of facilities, information and communication technology, programs, and services so that all people, including people with disabilities, can fully and independently use them. Accessibility includes the provision of accommodations and modifications to ensure equal access to employment and participation in activities for people with disabilities, the reduction or elimination of physical and attitudinal barriers to equitable opportunities, a commitment to ensuring that people with disabilities can independently access every outward-facing and internal activity or electronic space, and the pursuit of best practices such as universal design. (Source) Anti-racist: An anti-racist is someone who is supporting an antiracist policy through their actions or expressing antiracist ideas. This includes the expression of ideas that racial groups are equals and do not need developing, and supporting policies that reduce racial inequity.

Benefit: An advantage or profit gained from the implementation of a service policy, program, or initiative.

Black, Indigenous, People of Color (BIPOC): ‘Black, Indigenous, People of Color,’ is meant to unite all people of color in the work for liberation while intentionally acknowledging that not all people of color face the same levels of injustice. By specifically naming Black and Indigenous people we are recognizing that Black and Indigenous people face the worst consequences of systemic white supremacy, classism and settler colonialism (Source) Burden: To give someone an unequal, overwhelming share of an undesirable, unpleasant or difficult factor; typically associated with causing inequitable outcomes.

Disparities: A measure that indicates a difference between specific groups or population; the difference is usually unfair. (Source)
Diversity: Each person has layers of diversity that make his/her/their perspective unique. The City of Sacramento defines diversity as the variety of human differences and similarities among people, such as: age, belief system, class/caste, culture, disability, education, ethnicity, gender, gender identity, generation, geography, job role and function, language, marital status, mental health, nationality, native or indigenous origins, parental status, personality type, race, religion, sexual orientation, thinking style, work experience, and work style. 14 Equality: Everyone is treated the same exact way, regardless of need or any other individual difference. (Source)
Equity: Regardless of one’s identity, equity is when all people have just treatment, access to opportunities necessary to satisfy their essential needs, advance their well-being, and achieve their full potential while identifying and eliminating barriers that have prevented the full participation of some groups. Although both promote fairness, equality achieves this through treating everyone the same, regardless of need and circumstances. Equity achieves this through treating people differently dependent on need, circumstance and consideration of historical and systemic inequities. (Adapted from the Government Alliance on Race & Equity definition of racial equality)
Equity Lens/Framework: A way of analyzing policies, practice, and procedures by assessing disparities as well as the needs and assets of underserved communities/populations. (Source) Implicit Bias: Also known as unconscious or hidden bias, biases people are usually unaware of and that operate at the subconscious level. Implicit bias is usually expressed indirectly. (Source) Inclusion: A dynamic state of feeling, belonging, and operating in which diversity is leveraged and valued to create a fair, healthy, and high-performing organization or community. An inclusive culture and environment ensure equitable access to resources and opportunities for all. It also enables individuals and groups to feel safe, respected, heard, engaged, motivated, and valued for who they are. (Source)
Intersectionality: Per Kimberlé Williams Crenshaw, intersectionality is simply a prism to see the interactive effects of various forms of discrimination and disempowerment. It looks at the way that racism, many times, interacts with patriarchy, heterosexism, classism, xenophobia — seeing that the overlapping vulnerabilities created by these systems actually create specific kinds of challenges. “Intersectionality 102,” then, is to say that these distinct problems create challenges for movements that are only organized around these problems as separate and individual. So, when racial justice doesn’t have a critique of patriarchy and homophobia, the particular way that racism is experienced and exacerbated by heterosexism, classism etc., falls outside of our political organizing. It means that significant numbers of people in our communities aren’t being served by social justice frames because they don’t address the particular ways that they’re experiencing discrimination.

How did you approach this process? What methodology did you use while considering budget cuts?

As per the memo dated November 30, 2023: FY2024/25 Budget Reduction Plan, in an effort to address the structural imbalance projected in the City’s General/Measure U (G/MU) Fund for the upcoming fiscal year, the City Manager has directed departments to develop a reduction plan that reduces the net reliance of departments on the G/MU Fund by up to 15 percent as part of the approved budget for FY2023/24. According to the City Manager, the following reductions should be prioritized as follows:
• Revenue Enhancement/Discretionary Program Reduction
• Mandated Program Delivery Change
• Mandated Program Reduction
A set of reductions within the Fire Department was decided upon as a means of addressing structural imbalances within the department after reviewing all priorities. Among the factors considered by the Fire Department when making the decision to reduce the number of employees, budget constraints, operational efficiency, and public safety concerns. The department's priorities were carefully analyzed, and strategic decisions were made to address structural imbalances while minimizing the negative consequences for the community. Among these recommendations, the Department recommends eliminating 48 positions (48 FTE-Firefighter) in the Fire Suppression Division. The number of positions was determined by the dollar amount needed to meet the 15% reduction plan. Elimination of these firefighter FTEs will reduce emergency response to the community and will require the department to close fire engines and/or trucks (companies) daily. This recommendation is in line with the City Manager’s Directed Budget Reduction Plan.
2 Section 1: Goal Setting, Budget Classification, & Project Outcomes To get started, identify goals and project outcomes of the service or project being reduced or cut. Consider explaining how your service or project connects to the City’s goals and helps to define the potential reduction/cut’s impact on different communities.

Purpose of Budget Reductions

1. Name or Group of Reductions (tie to BCP numbers or totals). If grouped, please share which BCPs and why they are grouped together: BCP No. 1 - The Sacramento Fire Department proposed to eliminate 48 positions in the Fire Suppression Division

2. What type of program is this? (Mandated, Discretionary): Mandated

3. What is the level of impact? (1-4): Level 4 Severe Impacts to the community

4. Brief Description of Reduction: The Department is recommending eliminating 48 Firefighter FTE’s. This recommendation is based on the request of the City Manager’s Directed Budget Reduction Plan, to address the structural imbalance in the G/MU.

As the manager is attempting to address the structural imbalance currently projected in the City’s General and Measure U Funds for the upcoming fiscal year, the fire department has been asked to prepare a reduction plan of 15% out of the department’s budget. To reach this reduction amount, the department will need to eliminate 48 sworn fire suppression members. Elimination of these firefighter FTE's will reduce emergency response to the community and will require the department to close fire engines and/or trucks (companies) daily.

5. Department(s) Involved: Sacramento Fire Department

6. Type of Program or Service the budget expense is for: Fire departments are committed to doing what is necessary to save those who can be saved when disaster strikes. Successful rescues are based on having properly trained people with the right equipment for the job.

Personnel must be extremely competent, as the margin of error in many situations is very slim. Time is a factor. It is not just about response time but also the ability to begin the rescue operation quickly within established safe operating parameters.

7. How did you apply your approach to this BCP? A set of reductions within the Fire Department was decided upon as a means of addressing structural imbalances within the 3 department after reviewing all priorities. Among the factors considered by the Fire Department when making the decision to reduce the number of employees, budget constraints, operational efficiency, and public safety concerns. The department's priorities were carefully analyzed, and strategic decisions were made to address structural imbalances while minimizing the negative consequences for the community.

8. What problem or challenge is the Program or Service trying to solve? Firefighters are important because they fulfill five essential functions that are not fulfilled by other members of the emergency services:

Life safety. The primary purpose of firefighters is to help ensure the safety of lives and that means saving people’s lives by preventing and extinguishing fires and it also means by offering medical care during emergencies. Incident containment. Any incident can go from small to medium-sized to huge in a matter of minutes if it is not managed effectively.

Property safety. Lives matter more than property, but property is not unimportant, and the fire service spends a lot of its time trying to ensure that property is conserved.

Environmental safety. Not every firefighter is involved with efforts to contain wildfires, but many are and when they are, they will also be involved in the acts of trying to conserve the environment when fighting those fires. Educating the public. When they’re not attending emergencies and trying to save lives and property, the fire service is actively engaged in educating others in the importance of fire safety and CPR.

9. What are the desired program or service outcomes? In accordance with the City Charter (Article 8), the fire department is required to maintain its current staffing levels to be able to provide the community with the level of service that is required. The fire department is mandated to have an adequate number of personnel to respond to emergency calls in a timely manner, as well as provide preventative services to the community.

Which equity opportunity area(s) will this primarily impact? Select all that apply.

Community Access
☐ Access to public spaces (e.g. Libraries,
centers, parks)
☐ Access to public transportation
☐ Access to broadband internet
☐ Access to information in different
languages
☐ Access to information in different
auditory/visual formats
☒ Access to emergency services for
frontline communities
☐ Access to community involvement in
planning

Human/Social Services
☒ Impact on services for Sacramento
residents
☒ Disproportionate distribution of
resources to frontline communities
☒ Disruption of services to frontline
communities
☐ Impact on social services provided by
religious non-profit organizations
Mobility
☐ Those unable to afford transportation
costs
☒ Flooding of critical road networks
☒ Mobility limitations during heat
waves/storms

Food
☐ Food insecurity
☐ Malnutrition and chronic health
disparities

5 Public Health
☒ Physical and mental health concerns
☐ Air pollution
☐ Water quality
☐ Unfair siting of infrastructure like
landfills, trash incinerators, wind turbines,
and solar panels
☐ Exacerbating disparities from COVID-19
Cultural Impacts
☐ Loss of important cultural sites
☐ Disruption of cultural practices (in
general)
☐ Loss of culture and spirituality involving
Sacramento cultural sites and/or practices

Housing
☒ Ability to afford disaster preparation and
recovery
☐ Ability to afford relocation costs
☐ Increased housing costs
☒ Homeless/houseless communities
☒ Un-insured or under-insured community
members to potential damages
Economic Considerations
☒ Loss of jobs/unemployment
☒ Economic recovery
☒ Economic stability
Livability/Cost of Living
☐ High utility costs
☐ Ability to afford HVAC
☐ Unequal energy burden
☒ Those unable to afford living costs

Other (Please fill in your own)
☐
☐
☐

6 How does the reduction in the program or service outcomes relate to the selected equity opportunity areas?

In accordance with the City Charter (Article 8), fire protection and emergency medical services are mandated in Sacramento for the safety and wellbeing of the community. Eliminating these positions will put the community at risk, which violates current requirements. The City of Sacramento is required to provide adequate fire protection and emergency medical services. For the community’s wellbeing and safety, it is essential that adequate fire protection and emergency medical services be available. By eliminating these positions, the community would not be able to receive timely and lifesaving assistance during emergencies, compromising their safety. Additionally, eliminating these positions would adversely affect the City of Sacramento’s social services. In order to maintain a healthy and thriving community, fire protection and emergency medical services are crucial, as they provide prompt response and assistance when needed. It would not only violate the City Charter, but also neglect the community’s wellbeing.

Furthermore, eliminating these positions could adversely affect Sacramento’s economy. In addition to the higher insurance rates for residents and businesses, decreased fire protection and emergency medical services could lower property values. In addition, a lack of adequate emergency services could deter new businesses from investing in the area, reducing economic growth. Housing in Sacramento may also suffer from inadequate fire protection and emergency medical services. When choosing a place to live, residents’ safety and security are crucial factors. The housing market may suffer without reliable emergency services, resulting in a decrease in property values and a decline in potential homeowners. 7 Section 2: Service Impacts
A spending cut could reduce the quality of service that the City delivers. Collecting data allows you to identify synergies with existing work and unearth opportunities to reduce the perpetuation of historical and present injustice faced by certain communities. Explore the potential impacts of spending cuts by identifying demographics of community members.

Impacts By Demographics
Identify the demographics of residents who may be impacted by the service or program reduction.

☐ Other:
☒ All
☐ No impact in this area

The potential for reducing fire department services in the City of Sacramento could result in increased response times, fewer resources, and fewer firefighters available for emergency response. This could lead to an increase in property loss and injuries, as well as a decrease in the quality of life for citizens.

Vulnerable groups, such as the elderly and those with disabilities may be particularly affected by the reduction in fire department services. Without timely and adequate response, their safety and wellbeing could be compromised, putting them at a higher risk of harm during emergencies. Furthermore, the inability of some residents to afford the rising costs of living in Sacramento may exacerbate the consequences of reduced fire department services. This could create a dangerous situation where individuals are unable to access the necessary assistance during emergencies, further jeopardizing their safety and potentially leading to tragic outcomes.

Section 3: Location Impacts
This section is designed to help understand the geographic character of budget cuts and their potential impacts on vulnerable and already underserved neighborhoods and communities.

Please fill out only those that apply.

List any specific geographic areas your program or service impacts below.

Examples: Districts, Opportunity/Promise Zones, Neighborhoods, Service Districts

The potential for reducing fire department services in the City of Sacramento could have location impacts to underserved neighborhoods. Reducing fire department services in underserved neighborhoods could have devastating consequences, as these communities often face higher risks of fire hazards due to inadequate infrastructure, limited access to resources, and socioeconomic disparities. The lack of timely emergency response could further exacerbate the already vulnerable situation, potentially leading to increased property damage, injuries, and loss of lives. The reduced services could result in longer response times to fires, increased fire risk, and higher costs of insurance for residents and businesses.

Additionally, fewer firefighters could lead to decreased morale and an increase in early retirements. 9 Program or Service Geography: Citywide
Examples include internal services like IT, HR, and Fleet management and citywide elected officials. Services that are “geography neutral” usually pose the least risk to equity but could still serve a vulnerable population.

If this is a program or service provided to the entire city with little variance by neighborhood, could vulnerable populations be hurt by the cut?

Program or Service from a Central Location
Examples include building construction plan review and many kinds of licensing. In this case, equity would depend on who the careholders of this service are. For example, for a given type of license, would a decreased level of service adversely impact any of the equity considerations from our definition of equity?
If the program or service is delivered from a central location and available to the community at- large, but is more commonly used by specific segments of the community, are those segments a vulnerable population?
The potential for reducing fire department services in the City of Sacramento could have wide-ranging impacts regardless of location. There are no geographical boundaries, service boundaries, or neighborhood boundaries when it comes to emergencies. These impacts may include delayed emergency response times, heightened vulnerability to property damage and loss of life, and a general decline in safety and security for both residents and businesses.

The potential for reducing fire department services in the City of Sacramento could have wide-ranging impacts regardless of location. There are no geographical boundaries, service boundaries, or neighborhood boundaries when it comes to emergencies. These impacts may include delayed emergency response times, heightened vulnerability to property damage and loss of life, and a general decline in safety and security for both residents and businesses.

10 Mobile Program or Service
These are services where the staff are mobile and focused on specific neighborhoods.

Examples include EMS units, code enforcement, road patching crews, and litter abatement teams. Cuts in these services could also pose greater risks of inequitable impact.

If this is a mobile program or service that serves a specific community or specific neighborhoods, are those neighborhoods vulnerable?

If this is a program or service delivered at locations distributed throughout the city with a service population local to the site, are the populations served vulnerable? The potential for reducing fire department services in the City of Sacramento could have wide-ranging impacts regardless of location. There are no geographical boundaries, service boundaries, or neighborhood boundaries when it comes to emergencies. It is important to note that emergency services are not just confined to fixed locations but are also available on a mobile basis throughout the community. Mobile emergency services play a crucial role in providing immediate assistance and support to individuals in need, regardless of location. By being able to quickly respond and reach areas that may be difficult to access, these services ensure that help is readily available during emergencies, enhancing the overall safety and wellbeing of the community.

The potential reduction in fire department services in the City of Sacramento could have wide-ranging impacts on vulnerable populations due to fire station accessibility. Reduced fire station accessibility could lead to longer response times in emergency situations, putting lives and property at greater risk.

Vulnerable populations, such as the lowering communities, may not have the resources to access emergency medical care, and may be less likely to be able to afford fire protection services. This could lead to an increased number of deaths and injuries due to fire-related incidents. 11 Section 4: Re-Evaluating Key Impacts
Recall the purpose of the program or service budget expense from Step #1 and the budget classification including impact level (1-4).

Do you have a better idea of how neighborhoods and/or populations will benefit and how they will benefit?

Do you have a better idea of how neighborhoods and/or populations will be negatively impacted and how they will be impacted?
With the elimination of 48 sworn firefighters, response times will be impacted, resulting in gaps in emergency response services. This would result in five companies’ closures, resulting in a reduction in service. The department currently receives approximately 109,000 calls for service in a year, an average of 300 calls per day. The delay in suppression activity doubles the probability of the size of the fire every minute. In addition, there is an increased risk of injury as a consequence of the delay in suppression activities. A reduction in staff makes preventing emergencies and reducing their severity more difficult.

Lowering the standards of the Fire Department will result in a decrease in the quality of fire suppression and an increase in the probability of larger fire incidents. This will increase the risk of injury for firefighters and put the public in danger. As well as compromising the safety of the community, eliminating these positions would adversely affect the social services provided by the City of Sacramento.

This elimination could have location impacts to already underserved neighborhoods, which may already face greater fire hazards due to inadequate infrastructure, limited access to resources, and socioeconomic disparities. The lack of timely emergency response could further exacerbate the already vulnerable situation, potentially leading to increased property damage, injuries, and loss of lives.

Reducing fire department services, which will impact these areas, may have devastating consequences.

Increase in Unit Hour Utilization (UHU) in an already impacted workforce. An increase in UHU will decrease the availability of emergency response. Reduction in public education and community involvement. Reduction in community events support and participation.

12 Advancing Equity in FY ’24-‘25
Offer a brief description of the programs and services that are proposed for funding in the FY ’24-’25 budget that advance equity:

13 GLOSSARY OF TERMS
As you reflect on and respond to the questions relating to the Budgeting for Equity Tool, please refer to the definitions provided below.

Benefit: An advantage or profit gained from the implementation of a service policy, program, or initiative.

15 Privilege: Unearned social power accorded by the formal and informal institutions of society to ALL members of a dominant group (e.g. white privilege, male privilege, etc.). Privilege is usually invisible to those who have it because we’re taught not to see it, but nevertheless it puts them at an advantage over those who do not have it. A systemic valuing, favoring or enhancing that only certain populations benefit from based on the group of which they are a part. (Adapted from source and source)
Race: A social construct that categorizes individuals based on their physical characteristics, particularly skin and hair texture, and not an actual biological fact. (Source) Racial Equity: A situation that is achieved when people are thriving and race no longer statistically dictates, determines or predicts one’s social outcomes or ability to thrive. (Source) The City of Sacramento affirms racial equity as a core value in which race does not affect life outcomes. We acknowledge historical racial inequities and are committed to transparent, deliberate, and actionable solutions that will remedy those inequities and serve all our diverse communities. (
Source)
Racial Equity Accountability: In the context of racial equity work, accountability refers to the ways in which individuals and communities hold themselves to their goals and actions and acknowledge the values and groups to which they are responsible. To be accountable, one must be visible, with a transparent agenda and process. Accountability demands commitment. From a relational point of view, accountability is not always doing it right. Sometimes it’s really about what happens after it’s done wrong. (Source
)
Social Vulnerability Index (SVI) Map: SVI - developed by the Center for Disease Control and Prevention's Agency for Toxic Substance and Disease Registry (ATSDR) - uses U.S. Census data to determine the social vulnerability of every Census tract to help public health officials and emergency response partners identify and map the communities that will most likely need support before, during, and after a hazardous event. The SVI ranks each tract on 16 social factors, four related themes, and provides an overall ranking. This map provides information related to the 16 social factors, maps the four SVI themes and overall ranking. (Source )

Sacramento City CouncilMay 14, 2024

Sacramento City Council
May 14, 2024