Tompkins County adopts framework to ‘institutionalize equity’ across county operations

Tompkins County’s legislature on March 4 adopted a countywide framework aimed at embedding equity into government operations, directing departments to develop measurable “equity indicators” and to report progress publicly.

Charlene Holmes, the county’s chief equity and diversity officer, presented the inaugural Institutionalizing Equity Report, which the legislature adopted on Feb. 18 and discussed at the March 4 meeting. Holmes described the report as a practical roadmap — not only aspirational language — that aligns with the county strategic plan’s organizational-excellence goal and requires departments to identify baselines and measurable indicators for service access, workforce training, and resource allocation.

Holmes said the report grew from extensive outreach: focus groups, one‑on‑one conversations and community-led events involving local partners such as Southside, GIAC, UPI, the Cayuga County Justice Center (CJC), the AAPI and Latino civic organizations, the Human Rights Commission and representatives from the Community Foundation, Cayuga Medical, Cornell University and Ithaca College. She told the legislature the report will produce public-facing metrics and an annual report to track whether county services reach residents who have historically faced barriers.

Under the adopted approach, department heads will select equity indicators and decide whether to report quarterly, biannually or annually; county administration will aggregate disaggregated data and publish an annual countywide equity report beginning in 2026. Holmes said 2025 will be a “baseline” year: departments will submit indicators and start data collection, and the county will support departments through training and administrative assistance.

Legislators asked how the work will relate to existing teams and partnerships. Holmes explained the difference between the workforce-focused JEDI core team (staff-only) and the Workforce Diversity and Inclusion Committee (WDIC), a mixed committee of staff, community members and legislators, and described plans to coordinate JEDI, WDIC and the new indicators. Holmes invited legislators to participate in upcoming events — including a GARE (Government Alliance on Race and Equity) regional meeting to be held locally in October — and flagged that GIS mapping tools and census-diversity profiles are available to help target outreach.

Legislators generally praised the report and asked for clarity on timelines and data sources. Several members said they expect the equity indicators to inform future budget decisions and resource allocation. Holmes acknowledged the work will take time and emphasized that the first annual report in 2026 will be the first opportunity to evaluate trends across departments.

The legislature’s adoption of the report establishes an official county framework for equity work and assigns ongoing accountability to department heads and county administration. Holmes said the approach is intended to improve service access for vulnerable residents and to increase transparency by publishing measurable outcomes.