Medford ODEI seeks small budget increase, pushes for Disability Commission stipends and diversity dashboard expansion

The Office of Diversity, Equity and Inclusion asked the Medford City Council to approve a $120,911 general‑fund allocation for fiscal 2026, a $2,409 increase from fiscal 2025, with the increase covering cost‑of‑living adjustments and office supplies.

The office’s director, Frances Nwaje, said the ODEI “is a space for all who live, work, learn, and do business in the city of Medford,” and described ongoing work to support access beyond physical accommodations, citing efforts such as large‑print conversions and interpreter coordination.

Nwaje outlined recent accomplishments including improved accessible listening devices in the chambers, accessible seating purchased with ARPA funds, a city‑wide MCAD training series for the fire department, a trio of trainings for SEIU and Teamsters members in the schools, and launch of a voluntary diversity dashboard built with a Tufts intern. The dashboard, Nwaje said, “is a voluntary self identification and affirmative action capturing system” that currently reflects about 72 respondents and is intended to help the city track hiring and benefits decisions.

On the Disability Commission, Nwaje pointed to the ordinance and training requirements that commission members must meet, citing “ordinance, section 2‑303 and 2‑304” (as referenced in the presentation) and argued those training obligations impose time and cost burdens. She recommended a stipend for commissioners so they can attend required multi‑day training: “The camp training … is 2 days. It is 6 hours each day. So if people are employed, they are taking time off work.”

Councilors thanked the director for the presentation and for advocacy on behalf of the Disability Commission. Councilor Lazaro said the proposed budget “looks totally appropriate” and supported continuing the work “until we can no longer do it” if outside grant funding becomes uncertain.

Nwaje also cautioned that the office’s work is sensitive to federal funding uncertainty. “If federal funds do get pulled, yes, the organizations that receive federal funding that distribute that funding through other sources… will be affected,” she said.

The ODEI presentation included specific operational suggestions for increasing employee participation in the dashboard, such as periodic reminders and continued outreach to departments with lower response rates (police, fire, DPW). Nwaje said higher veteran response rates are expected once outreach improves, noting “our veterans are primarily in our law enforcement and fire department.”

Why it matters: The ODEI’s small general‑fund increase funds fixed personnel costs but the director’s request for stipends and continued dashboard development signals an administrative effort to professionalize volunteer commission work and to improve city employment data for equity and hiring decisions.

What’s next: Council members acknowledged the request and expressed support for including the stipend in future budget requests; no formal vote on the ODEI line occurred during the session.