Clackamas County DEI office faces an uncertain future

The intrigue: After emotional discussion at the meeting, Shull's defunding proposal was tabled, and county commissioners are expected to adopt the budget with equity office funding Thursday morning, unless amendments are introduced.

• Chair Tootie Smith is also planning a July meeting to discuss the office and its funding, saying, "I think an overhaul of the program is in order."

Catch up quick: Clackamas County created its Equity and Inclusion Office in July 2020, weeks after George Floyd's murder and following a series of resolutions supporting equity, diversity and inclusion that began in 2004.

• The office now has three staff members and reports directly to the county administrator.
• It runs a support line for people feeling the impact of racism, immigration struggles and other cross-cultural issues, acts as a resource to county staff and has spearheaded research on communities of color in Clackamas County.

Driving the news: In the budget meeting last month, Shull told other commissioners that "for decades" Clackamas County had "operated just fine" without an equity office and that he believes it "only foments friction" and is an unnecessary expense.

State of play: Shull's proposal led to an unplanned discussion among the elected officials, with some tearing up as they spoke.

• Commissioner Paul Savas disagreed with Shull's proposal, saying, "Everyone needs to feel that they belong."
• Commissioner Ben West, who fought for same-sex marriage rights and has adopted a Black son, criticized the equity office, saying he "won't let this county have an ideology that tells anyone else that because of their immutable trait, that they are a victim."

What they're saying: "This stuff isn't about folks being born into victimization. It's about barriers and systemic racism and systemic issues that have been put in place to keep folks from going places," Desi Nicodemus, president of the Milwaukie City Council in Clackamas County, told Axios.

• The proposal to defund the office "ended up making a whole community of folks in Clackamas County feel unsafe," he said.

Flashback: Shull faced a recall campaign almost immediately after winning a seat in 2020, based on social media posts opponents said were racist.

• The campaign dropped the effort, telling Axios it was too onerous, and is focusing on recruiting candidates to the board in future elections.

The bottom line: No matter what happens with Thursday's budget vote, the equity office could see funding changes after the planned July discussion about its purpose. County Administrator Gary Schmidt told the board it can adjust the budget anytime.