The Prince George’s County Council has unanimously adopted a resolution that requires the Maryland county to come up with a new equity policy framework, and to begin assessing county spending and new laws for their impact on equity.
Council member Deni Taveras said she modeled the idea after something Montgomery County passed in 2019. During a hearing two weeks ago, she argued that the impact the pandemic had on her district — and how the response was carried out there versus other areas of the D.C. area — crystallized the need for this new resolution now.
“The COVID-19 pandemic was one where my community direly suffered with being in the ZIP code of 20783. We were the most affected in terms of infection rates in the DMV area, yet we were the last to receive vaccines,” Taveras said. “Despite overcrowding issues, proximities etc., we are the most urbanized area per square mile here in the county.”
The resolution directs council staff to analyze how budget and policy decisions will impact equity, with that information provided to county lawmakers as they determine how to vote. Oversight of programs and processes will also be looked at through an equity lens.
Click here to read the rest of the article written by John Domen over at WTOP
