COVID-19 is exacting unprecedented distress on residents and cities across America. A weakened economy is crippling city revenue sources, at the same time as residents desperately need more government services. The budget cuts city leaders make today will be felt disproportionately by communities already impacted by unjust municipal budgets and practices. Cities must approach fiscal health with an intersectional lens that utilizes intergovernmental collaboration, citizen engagement, and data-driven decision-making. Across these efforts, city leaders must place equity considerations front and center to avoid further solidifying, or exacerbating, the inequalities present in cities today.
Activest is excited to announce that we are working on the City Budgeting for Equity Program as the Equity Partner. This is a new program of Bloomberg Philanthropies, through What Works Cities, to support twenty-nine cities’ equitable recovery efforts.
In our role as the equity partner, Activest will apply our Fiscal Justice Framework to identify the equity implications of municipal finances. We will work with the participating cities and dig into local policies and practices that have material fiscal consequences such as the excessive use of corporate tax abatements, police misconduct, fines and forfeitures, and/or entrenched housing and school segregation, among other issues.