Deputy City Manager Marshall briefs Council on approach to social equity goals

Sam Sanders has been Charlottesville’s City Manager for nearly a year and unveiled a work plan for his duties soon after taking the position. This work plan corresponds to the City Council’s strategic plan which was adopted last September and Sanders has provided periodic updates at regular meetings. (Council adopts framework for strategic plan, September 9, 2024)

“There were some topics that we have yet to engage in, bigger discussions,” Sanders said. 

Sanders invited Deputy City Manager Ashley Marshall to present materials on social equity priorities based on the strategic plan commitment to justice, equity, diversity, and inclusion (JEDI). 

“As your Deputy City Manager it’s both a privilege and a responsibility to address how we can foster a city where every individual, regardless of background or circumstances has fair and just opportunities to thrive,” Marshall said.  (view the presentation)

Marshall said social equity can be used as a guiding principle for how to organize policies and how to define the city’s identity. She said the city will look at equity through the framework called the Social Determinants of Health. (learn more on the Centers for Disease Control website)

“The Social Determinants of Health are the underlying community-wide social and economic and physical conditions in which people are born, live, work, and age,” Marshall said. 

Marshall said local government has the power to affect people’s lives through the policies it sets. She said equity is required as a lens to ensure decisions don’t have negative consequences. 

Marshall quoted materials put out by the group Race Forward. 

“Equality is sameness and it ignores the realities of the historical exclusion and power differentials among whites and other racialized groups and marginalized persons,” Marshall said. 

As a comparison, Marshall read from materials put out by the group Government Alliance on Racial Equity.

“Equity however is a measure of justice,” Marshall said. “It ensures that outcomes are uniquely created for what people need and that is absolutely where we should be focused in on.” 

Marshall’s position used to be Deputy City Manager for Racial Equity, Diversity, and Inclusion but Sanders changed it to Deputy City Manager for Social Equity. Here’s another definition, this time from the American Society for Public Administration. 

“It is the fair, just, and equitable management of all institutions serving the public directly or by contract, the fair and equitable distribution of public services, and implementation of public policy, and the commitment to promote fairness, justice, and equity in the formation of public policy,” Marshall read from another slide. 

Going back to social determinants of health, Marshall said localities have a duty to ensure they are providing services to maximize outcomes for as many people as possible. 

“We are the entity that works on key infrastructure for our community and we also provide programs that can either support health and wellness, or hinder it,” Marshall said. 

Marshall then explained how current city programs are working to accomplish both strategic plan goals and social health determinant goals. For instance, under economic stability there are several examples of city programs. 

• The Department of Human Services runs the CAYIP Teen Internship Program​
• The Office of Economic Development has several GO programs to train people to have various skill-sets
• The Office of Social Equity runs the Downtown Job Center and the Home to Hope Program
• Charlottesville Area Transit currently has a fare free program that runs through June 30, 2026
• The city is participating in the 2024 Economic Mobility and Opportunity Cohort run by the International City/County Management Association (see recent story)
• Charlottesville is also part of the National League of Cities Economic Mobility Peer Network (see that story, too)
• The city has also invested $590,000 or so in the BEACON Kitchen under construction from the New Hill Development Corporation. (here’s one story) (here’s another)
• Charlottesville also invests in workforce development programs at Piedmont Virginia Community College 

Marshall went on through Neighborhood and Physical Environment, Education, Food, Community and Social Context, and the Health Care System. 

But before we go to those, Marshall explained more about that ICMA program.

“This program will allow us to start exploring how we can better work on economic stability and economic prosperity,” Marshall said. 

There’s more in the report and the video is available on the city’s streaming website. (the raw link to the video)

At the end, Marshall asked Councilors to weigh in. 

“I really appreciate this summary of basically this is what our government does,” said City Councilor Natalie Oschrin. “I think it’s very clear and it’s very helpful and trying into the theme of social determinants of health makes it easy to approach. You can think, how does it affect me, and how does it affect my community because ultimately we are a community.”

Oschrin called for the report to be put in an accessible place.  (view the presentation)

“I think it would be useful to somehow get this presentation with all of these things linked somewhere on the website in an easily findable place so people can find out about what is it the city government can do,” Oschrin said. 

For another look at how these issues are tracked in city government, take a look at the most recent update from Sanders on the work plan. (February 15, 2024 update)

In the meantime, there’s Charlottesville Community Engagement and stories like this. I can’t cover it all, but I try to provide as broad an overview as I can. 

Before you go: The time to write and research of this article is covered by paid subscribers to Charlottesville Community Engagement. In fact, this particular installment is from the June 21, 2024 edition of the newsletter. To ensure this research can be sustained, please consider becoming a paid subscriber or contributing monthly through Patreon.