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PROPOSED ORDINANCE
COMPLETE COUNT CENSUS COMMISSION FOR COOK COUNTY
BE IT ORDAINED, by the Cook County Board of Commissioners, that Chapter 2- Administration, Article VI, Boards, Commissions, and Committees, Division 1 - generally sections 2-477 through 2-479 of the Cook County Code, is hereby enacted as Follows:
Sec. 2-477. Short Title. This Division shall be known and may be cited as the “Complete Count Census Commission for Cook County” (The Commission).
Sec. 2-478. - Policy and Purpose.
(a) Policy.
This ordinance hereby creates a Commission to assist in the development of an accurate, timely and comprehensive census outreach plan to educate the population on the importance of the census having a complete and accurate population count. Strategic focus will be placed on addressing Hard to Count and underserved communities that the census historically missed - communities of color, urban and rural low-income households, immigrants, populations with language barriers, and young children. Two years prior to the census decennial the Commission shall be activated and a budget line item appropriated, empowering the Commission to perform its work.
(b) Purpose.
(1) To ensure Aa complete and accurate population count is crucial to for the well-being of the county. Federal and state officials rely on population data counts to allocate billions of dollars in federal and state funds to the County and local communities.
(2) To ensure an accurate population count is also used to determine and that there is a fair reapportionment of congressional representation.
(3) To ensure state and local officials use the population count in the redistricting processes to draw fair representative boundaries for federal, state and local districts.
(4) To ensure the census population count data is also used to make decisions about infrastructure, such as where to build a new school or road. Similarly, local and national businesses utilize census population count data to decide whether and where to start or relocate a business.
Sec. 2-479. - Complete Count Census Commission of Cook County.
(a) The Commission will have eleven fifteen (1115) diverse members including: the two (2) Commissioners who were the original sponsors of the ordinance who shall serve as Chairpersons of the Law Enforcement and Health and Hospitals Committees of the Cook County Board of Commissioners and Co-Chair of the Commission. The Chairperson of the Law Enforcement Committee shall be Chairperson of the Commission and the Chairperson of the Health and Hospitals Committee shall serve as Co-Chair. Four Six (46) of the Commission members shall be selected by the Chair and Co-Chair. Four Six (46) members of the Commission shall be appointed by the President of the Cook County Board of Commissioners which may include but not be limited to: civic leaders, business leaders or private sector representatives who have established excellent inclusion practices. In addition, the President shall also appoint by virtue of the position (1) Bureau Chief of Economic Development as a member of the Commission. All appointments are to be confirmed by the Cook County Board.
(b) The Commission members will serve upon adoption of this ordinance for the 2020 decennial census and for two (2) years leading up to the decennial census (typically taken every 10 years in the month of April) and can be reappointed for consecutive decennial census terms.
(c) The Commission shall review and make recommendations on how the Commission can to increase the community participation in hard to count communities. This will be done in collaboration with the Bureau of Economic Development’s for the creation of the request for proposal to facilitate a complete event.
(d) The Commission will establish the guidelines and vision for the a census outreach plan and oversee the implementation of the plan, and work with the Bureau of Economic Development on creating of the request for proposals for all services and any staff hired to work for the Commission.
(e) The Commission shall establish relationships with independent organizations (such as nonprofit organizations, community organizations, congregations, etc.) in each District of the Cook County Board of Commissioners to encourage and assist them to create complete count committees. The Commission may accept financial support from nonprofit organizations and charitable foundations.
(ef) The Commission has the authority to review, oversee and make recommendations on all proposals submitted to the Bureau of Economic Development as it relates to all census activities. The Bureau of Economic Development shall act as the fiscal agent for the Commission and shall promulgate processes and procedures for creating and overseeing contracts to further the Commission’s activities.
(fg) The Commission, through a written report and presentations, will advise the office of the President and Board of Commissioners not less than quarterly on its recommendationswork. Six months prior to the decennial census the Commission will advise the President and the Board of Commissioners on a monthly basis. All reports will be made directly to the Board.
(h) Post-decennial activities shall include, but not be limited, to a report prepared by the Commission to be received and filed by the Board of Commissioners detailing the Commission’s efforts for the decennial census including the background on the state of the County’s population at the time, targeted populations, description of Commission members and subcommittees, the County’s overall efforts, partnerships, materials distributed, and decennial-specific Census results for Cook County. Such record-keeping will enrich the County’s historical archive and assist future Commission efforts.
(gi) All meetings of the Commission will be open to the public.
Effective date: This ordinance shall be in effect immediately upon adoption