Sumner County committee orders Title VI policy by July 1, directs staff to seek funding and names interim coordinator

The Sumner County Financial Management Committee on an early-March meeting voted to direct staff to draft and return a Title VI nondiscrimination policy vetted through the committee by July 1 and to ask the county budget committee for resources to implement it.

The measure matters because Title VI compliance affects the county’s eligibility for federal grants and touches employment and procurement practices across county departments. Eric, Law Director, told the committee that Title VI “is basically … nondiscrimination against anybody,” and that the obligation extends beyond grant-funded programs into employment practices and vendor monitoring. He warned the county could face “significant lawsuits based on discrimination” if it lacks complaint handling, monitoring and required signage across county facilities.

Committee members described the current gap…