Ramsey County will create pathways to intergenerational prosperity for racially and ethnically diverse communities that have historically experienced wealth extraction, with an emphasis on Black/African American, American Indian, and other racially/ethnically diverse communities. This countywide approach will focus on racial and economic inclusion in racially and ethnically diverse communities with intentional and strategic investments in residents and businesses.
Ramsey County is committed to addressing systemic and institutional racism that has created barriers to workforce participation, family sustaining wages and affordable housing by cultivating economic prosperity and investing in people and neighborhoods that have historically experienced wealth extraction. Black/African American, American Indian and other racially and ethnically diverse communities experience deep disparities in homeownership, income, business opportunities and business ownership that were exacerbated by the COVID-19 pandemic. It is imperative that Ramsey County work with community to eliminate the racial and ethnic wealth gap and create new prosperity that can be passed down to future generations.
While this was a new strategic priority for Ramsey County in 2022, it builds on past strategic priorities (Procurement as a Tool for Business Inclusion, Stability Starts with a Place to Call Home) as well as Ramsey County’s Economic Competitiveness & Inclusion Plan to prioritize future investments in housing, job creation, and workforce development.
Racial equity and shared power
The county is centering racial equity with investments in Black/African American, American Indian, and other racially and ethnically diverse communities, while also collaborating with residents on specific program offerings and action steps. In coordinating with community leaders, Ramsey County will leverage community initiatives, such as the Economic Mobility Hub for American Indians and the Center for Economic Inclusion’s Racial Equity Dividends Index: Public Sector, to address racial and ethnic disparities with improved outcomes, as measured by Ramsey County’s community indicators.
Strategic priority goals
- Full implementation of the Purchasing and Contracting Transformation (PACT) initiative, with a focus on operationalizing new policies, processes and procedures for all Professional Services, Expenditure Grants, Single Source and Emergency purchases.
- Invest in families and residents by implementing income and wealth building strategies identified in the Economic Competitiveness and Inclusion Plan and from community engagement feedback.
Actionable strategies
- Communicate with community and county employees about procurement changes through at least six events such as lunch and learns, roadshows and townhalls.
- Hire four leadership positions and work with Human Resources and the Service Teams to centralize staff and build out the procurement team.
- Conduct multiple pilots of new procurement processes for professional services, expenditure grants, and IT procurement through Spring 2024, with full implementation planned in Summer 2024.
- Measure and report progress in PACT implementation to evaluate success.
- Continue to resource the Emerging and Diverse Developer Technical Assistance Program
- Extend support to the Economic Mobility Hub for American Indians for family coaching and outreach worker staff with additional resources.
- Host an Entrepreneurship-Workforce Conference for Young Adults
- Align resources with the GroundBreak Coalition core areas to include commercial development, homeownership and entrepreneurship.
