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Council Motion Aims To Create More Diverse Boards And Commissions

city hall
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Cincinnati Council has approved a motion its sponsor said will improve the diversity of city-appointed boards and commissions.  
From now on, when council votes on such appointments, the printed agenda item will include the current composition of the given board or commission broken down by gender and race.  

Credit Provided / City of Cincinnati
/
City of Cincinnati
Example of what Cincinnati Council agenda will look like with information on the makeup of boards and commissions with gender and race.

Council member P.G. Sittenfeld introduced the proposal.

"We feel like it's really important that city boards and commissions reflect the diversity of the community that we serve," Sittenfeld said. "We want council to reflect the community we serve, but we also want the parks commission, the health board, all of these different city boards and commissions that play an integral role to look like what the city looks like."

The Women's Fund of the Greater Cincinnati Foundation is supportive of the change. The group has been working with governments across the region on such changes.

Advocacy Director Holly Hankinson said the Cincinnati mayor and council have been making progress toward more diversity.

"The motion today builds on these commitments, and is a great step to ensure diverse voices continue to be reflected on city appointed boards," Hankinson said.

Supporters say the city has done a good job increasing diversity across all boards and commissions, but there are some specific ones that still are not reflective of the city's population.

City Council usually must approve mayoral or city manager appointments to boards and commissions.
 

Jay Hanselman brings more than 10 years experience as a news anchor and reporter to 91.7 WVXU. He came to WVXU from WNKU, where he hosted the local broadcast of All Things Considered. Hanselman has been recognized for his reporting by the Kentucky AP Broadcasters Association, the Ohio Society of Professional Journalists, and the Ohio AP Broadcasters.