Thirteen high-profile community leaders have been appointed to serve on a new commission focused on immigrants and refugees. Passed unanimously by the King County Council, the panelists are now tasked with developing recommendations for the county to better help address the needs of these oft underserved communities.
The appointment of the commission members is the culmination of a collaborative effort between the County Council and the County Executive to help King County’s growing immigrant and refugee population. In 2015, the council approved the creation of the Immigrant and Refugee Task Force to develop recommendations on what steps the county needed to take to ensure that these new residents have the opportunity to successfully integrate and become engaged, thriving members of the community.
One of the recommendations of the Task Force was the creation of a commission focused on the issues facing immigrant and refugee communities. The council approved the creation of the commission in 2018 with legislation sponsored by Council Chair Rod Dembowski and Councilmember Larry Gossett.
The Immigrant and Refugee Commission, whose members are appointed by the executive and approved by the council, will focus on integrating, strengthening and valuing immigrant and refugee communities, and upholding the county’s commitment to being a welcoming community.
The members of the commission will focus on a number of issues including: achieving fair and equitable access to county services for immigrant and refugee communities, improving opportunities for civic engagement, setting annual goals, and participating in important dialogue on County policies and practices that impact the community.
Commission members will serve three-year terms, with the exception of the inaugural members, whose terms would be staggered into three, two, and one-year terms to ensure continuity of experienced members on the commission.
For more information on the Commission, including meeting times and locations, go to:
https://kingcounty.gov/elected/executive/equity-social-justice/Immigrant-and-Refugee/Immigrant-Refugee-Commission.aspx
The above is a press release from the King County Council. The Auburn Examiner has not independently verified its contents.
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