Detroit council approves two FTEs for language-access work to support proposed ordinance

Detroit City Council members approved funding for two full-time equivalent positions to staff a new language-access function intended to support a language-access ordinance now under referral.

Council member Gabriela Santiago Romero, who sponsored the funding, said the additional positions were necessary because current staff are not dedicated to language access work. “Currently, right now, we heard Creo has staff that is doing this work, as well as the discrimination work, and it's not dedicated,” Santiago Romero said during the worksession. She recommended two FTEs at a recurring $200,000 allocation to support coordination, translation and accessibility across city departments.

Members asked for clarification about duties and capacity. Council Member Angela Whitfield Callaway asked whether the new hires would manage the office, perform services directly, or hire vendors and whether they would be bilingual or fluent in American Sign Language. Santiago Romero answered that the positions would create a dedicated program office to coordinate implementation of the ordinance, provide accessible documents and meet other department needs, and said she believed two staff would be “a good start.”

Council Member Leticia Johnson asked whether CreO (referred to repeatedly in the transcript as “Creo”) currently had staff assigned and was told there was no dedicated staff for the full scope of language access work. The council approved the two-FTE recurring allocation after members amended the figure and confirmed no objections were raised.

Council members directed staff to align the new positions with the language-access ordinance under consideration and to provide role descriptions and an implementation plan ahead of final hiring.