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Commissioner Gunn asks county attorney to review policies for compliance with state DEI reporting requirements
Summary
Commissioner Gunn asked the county auditor and county attorney to review Broward County uses of resources for diversity, equity and inclusion (DEI) initiatives in light of a state reporting requirement in 2020 Senate Bill 2502; the county attorney pledged a review and to return recommendations at the board's first August meeting.
Commissioner Gunn asked the Broward County auditor and county attorney to review county uses of resources for initiatives supporting diversity, equity and inclusion to ensure compliance with a state reporting directive included in 2020 Senate Bill 2502.
Gunn said the bill requires the Office of Policy and Budget to compile and submit an initial report to the governor, the chief financial officer, the president of the Senate and the speaker of the House, identifying instances of use of resources for initiatives supporting DEI and any specific evidence of potential gross overspending, waste, fraud or abuse. Gunn asked whether the county auditor had found any such instances in the past year; the county auditor responded that it was fair to say there had been no identified gross instances of waste, fraud or abuse in that context.
Commissioner Gunn asked the county attorney to review any instances that might be inconsistent with the law and to return recommendations to the board when it reconvenes after the summer break. Gunn characterized the measure as an "emergency action alert" and said the statutory reporting dates are September 2024 and September 2025, which he said creates an opportunity for the county to remedy any issues before reports are due. Gunn also asserted that the governor "has demonstrated animus towards Broward County and has shown an extreme willingness to remove Broward County Elected Officials." That statement was made as part of Gunn's remarks and is attributed to him.
The county attorney told the board the attorney's office believes Broward County is complying with the law but said staff would search for and identify any inoperative code language or terminology that could be cleaned up. The attorney said recommendations would be returned to the board at its first August meeting. The county attorney also said staff would consider whether removing certain search terms from county policies could achieve the same substantive goals without drawing the specific scrutiny identified in the state directive.
No formal motion or vote was recorded on this request; the item was presented as a commissioner request for review and follow-up direction to county staff.
