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Executive committee recommends two-year extension for City-County Joint Commission on Racial Justice and Equity
Summary
Peoria County’s executive committee recommended extending the City-County Joint Commission on Racial Justice and Equity charter through Dec. 31, 2027, citing volunteer-led pilots, modest county costs and alignment with a city recharter. The committee voted to carry the resolution forward.
Peoria County’s executive committee voted to recommend a two-year extension of the City-County Joint Commission on Racial Justice and Equity charter through Dec. 31, 2027.
Mr. Allen, who introduced the resolution, told the committee the commission was established in July 2021 in response to George Floyd’s murder and to address local inequities. He said roughly 160 volunteers organized into eight working groups — covering topics such as child and youth development, jobs, environment, transportation, health and human services, housing, information technology and criminal justice — and a steering committee of community leaders oversees the work.
The nut of the proposal, Mr. Allen said, is to give the commission an additional two years to continue work guided by the Urban Institute’s upward mobility framework. He noted two pilot programs as examples of concrete outcomes: an employment-transportation assistance pilot tied to workforce training with 48 graduates and a digital equity pilot with 42 participants. County staff estimated a small fiscal impact for shared printing and meeting costs of about $2,000, to be covered by the county’s diversity, equity and inclusion unit.
Tom Heggar and Angela Boden, identified as co-chairs in attendance, briefly updated the committee and said the volunteer commission intends to align its priorities with ongoing city and county initiatives rather than duplicate them. Mr. Allen also noted that the City had already rechartered the commission at its Dec. 9, 2025 meeting.
Member Duncan moved the resolution and Member Coates seconded it; no substantive objections were raised during questioning. The committee cast its votes and the motion carried.
Next steps: the recommendation will proceed in the county’s formal process for final action; committee members were warned that specific future funding requests for projects or training could be brought before the board if new needs arise.
