Find out about Inclusive Auburn

As public servants of the City of Auburn, each of us take great pride in the trust that we hold with each other, our residents, businesses and guests. Perhaps more than any other type of organization, we, as a municipality, hold the responsibility of ensuring that every member of our community is heard and has equitable opportunities to participate and flourish in our city.

On July 15, 2019, the City Council soundly approved Resolution #5427 Inclusive Auburn Initiative to accomplish the following goals:

• Eliminate systemic causes of disparities, racial and otherwise, in the City of Auburn
• Promote inclusion and create opportunities for full participation for every resident and business in the City of Auburn
• Reduce, and eventually eliminate, disparities of outcomes in our community

Phase One of the Inclusive Auburn Initiative focused on providing professional development to the City’s senior leadership team and City Council. Department directors and Mayor Backus have participating in a six-session Inclusive Auburn Initiative training that is designed to help us address systemic barriers and elevate opportunities within the City by interweaving equity and inclusion tools throughout our operations. During this phase, we will also be creating a City-wide Equity and Inclusion Team that can help support these efforts.

 Phase Two of this crucial work involves professional development for managers and staff. This work includes reaching out to staff and community members for participation in both surveys and focus groups during the beginning of 2020. The data that is collected will be central in ensuring that we are providing our team and the greater community with the right training and solutions to reach our goals.

Unfortunately, the COVID-19 pandemic has stalled our efforts in engaging community members in a thoughtful and meaningful way. The health and safety of the community members is the number one priority of the City. Engagement efforts will move forward once it is safe to do so again.

The work that we are beginning this year will require us all to move out of our comfort zones and to view our world through a lens that may be unfamiliar or uncomfortable. We are all challenged to embrace that discomfort and to honor the experiences, perspectives, questions, and knowledge that we all bring to the table, knowing that what we begin in this year will have lasting impacts in our community and beyond.

Sincerely,


Mayor Nancy Backus