RESOLUTION NO. _______A resolution affirming the City of Spokanes commitment to gender and racial equity, and creating a Task Force on Gender and Race Pay Equity.WHEREAS, racial and gender-based disparities persist in employment at the City of Spokane and across the Spokane area; andWHEREAS, Census Bureau data for the year of 2013 revealed that women earn 80 cents for every dollar a man earns, and a preliminary report demonstrated that women working for the City of Spokane earn 83.5 cents for every dollar a man earns, with that number dropping when race is reviewed along with gender; andWHEREAS, the City Council of the City of Spokane believes equity is a cornerstone of our democracy and the actions of local government contribute to the health and well-being of everyone in our city; andWHEREAS, local government leadership is necessary to achieve equity in the community, and it is also necessary for local government to work in collaboration with regional and national partners, both within government and across sectors;NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED BY THE CITY COUNCIL OF THE CITY OF SPOKANE THAT: Section 1. The City will convene a Task Force on Gender and Race Pay Equity that includes a representative from:1. Spokane City Council2. The Civil Service Commission3. The Human Rights Commission4. A designee of the Mayor5. Local 2706. Local 297. M&P-B8. Spokane Police Guild9. YWCA10. Greater Spokane Incorporated 11. Inland Northwest Business Alliance12. NAACP13. Hispanic Business/Professional Association of Spokane14. Spokane TALL Representative15. Spokane Tribe 16. AHANA 17. Womens Business Center INW18. Academic/Professor with a background in Women & Gender Studies19. Academic/Professor with a background in EconomicsSection 2. The Chair of the Task Force will be the representative of the Spokane City Council, with a co-chair determined by a majority vote of the Task Force.Section 3. The Task Force will meet as designated by a majority vote of the members of the Task Force.Section 4. The Task Force will work with Human Resources and all other necessary city departments to provide a deeper analysis of City-wide gender data, specifically overlaying an analysis of race, age and other demographic information.Section 5. The Task Force will establish subcommittees as necessary to focus on specific areas and/or topics that will be included in the report.Section 6. A preliminary report on Gender and Race Pay Equity will be issued six months after the adoption of this resolution. The final report will be issued a maximum of nine months after adoption of this resolution. The report will include information specified in Section 4 as well as:1. Recommendations on policies, practices and strategies for the Mayor and City Council to implement at the City to decrease gender and race-based pay disparities that includes a timeline for implementation of these recommendations.2. Policies, practices and strategies to use in the private sector to decrease gender and race-based pay disparities and a plan for education and outreach to private businesses.Section 7. The Task Force will reconvene every six months, or as is necessary, to track the progress of the City and private industry stakeholders in implementing recommendations contained in the report. ADOPTED by the City Council this ___________ May, 2015.

City Clerk

Approved as to form:

Assistant City Attorney