The Milwaukee County Office of Equity presented its 2026 recommended budget and a summary of 2025 work, prompting supervisors to ask that the office tie engagement and technical assistance to measurable outcomes as the county grapples with tight budget choices.

Chief equity officer Samaya Clark and director of equity strategy Kenmickia Terry told the Committee on Finance the office provides research, community engagement, technical assistance, policy advocacy and strategic partnerships. They reported multiple 2025 activities: awards and grants including a $100,000 Cities for Financial Empowerment Fund grant to develop a financial-empowerment blueprint; technical assistance to other jurisdictions; community engagement work tied to MCTS route changes that reached residents countywide; coordination of 53 community meetings and 44 community events; language-access translations during August flooding; and the second annual Health Equity Champions awards.

Why it matters: Supervisors acknowledged the office’s role but pressed for clearer measurement and direct outcomes linked to expensive services that the county must evaluate during budget cuts. Supervisor questions focused on outcome metrics, whether equity reviews had been done for MCTS route proposals and how to compare the office’s activities to direct services being reduced elsewhere such as paratransit, housing supports and market-match programs.

Office leaders responded that they provided technical assistance to MCTS and that the agency completes its own equity review when changing routes; Office of Equity staff said they supported outreach, translation and community engagement activities that reached an estimated 700,000 residents with messaging tied to transit changes. Equity staff described door‑to‑door outreach, translated materials and partnerships with community-based organizations as work that reaches populations less likely to attend standard public meetings.

Ending: Supervisors asked the Office of Equity to provide clearer outcome measures and to document which county services the office uniquely enables versus activities that could be replicated by departments. Several supervisors defended the office’s role — particularly language access during emergencies — and asked for continued, concrete reporting on impacts.