Committee advances ordinance to formalize Department of Compliance and Engagement

The Milwaukee Common Council Steering & Rules Committee on March 9, 2026, considered a substitute ordinance (file 250,798) to convert the existing Office of Equity and Inclusion into a Department of Compliance and Engagement, sponsor Alderman Scott Spiker told the committee.

Spiker said the ordinance implements budget decisions to move the office into a department, cleans up code and name language, and “closely reflects the work of the office.” Mary Reid, who identified herself as the director-designate for the planned department, told the committee the change is intended to reflect both “compliance” with city ordinances and ongoing community “engagement.”

The measure follows budget actions that shifted money and positions into a departmental structure, Spiker said; he described the change as a way to provide confirmation and institutional stability after prior leadership turnover at the office. “By having a department, we will have confirmation, power,” Spiker said, noting council confirmation would be part of the process.

Committee members asked about timing and stakeholder outreach. Spiker said the draft was circulated about two to three weeks earlier and that he had consulted Legislative Reference Bureau staff and the city attorney’s office; Mary Reid said the work of the office would not change under the new department name. A committee member also expressed regret that a prior reorganization led to the loss of a director (Adam Purcell), which Spiker cited as part of the rationale for ensuring council involvement in appointments.

A substitute motion to place file 250,798 on the committee agenda was moved by Alderman Baumann and brought forward without objection. A later motion to adopt drew one objection from the dais; the transcript does not include a recorded roll-call or final vote tally on adoption for this item. Because a formal recorded outcome is not provided in the transcript, the committee’s final disposition of the ordinance is not specified here.

Next steps discussed included confirmation hearings for the department director if the ordinance advances. Committee members and staff indicated the city attorney’s office and LRB had reviewed the language and suggested clarifying edits tied to the department’s stated functions.

The committee moved on to other business after the exchange; the record presented to the committee shows discussion, stakeholder consultation and a procedural objection but does not record a final adoption vote for file 250,798.