A deputy director from the Milwaukee County Office of Equity presented an informational report to the Committee on Finance describing the office's community engagement tools, outreach activities and reported outcomes for 2024–2025.

Deputy Director Terry summarized the office's distinction between "public outreach" (one-way information sharing) and "community engagement" (a "2 way process" that emphasizes listening, collaboration and shared decision making). The office recently launched a community engagement toolkit and an engagement planner intended to help county departments design inclusive public engagement grounded in evidence-based practices.

Terry cited specific applications of the toolkit, including use during the Justice Courthouse infrastructure project where the county added two working groups (community engagement; justice policy and programs) to incorporate resident input. The office also described a calendar of public-facing activities in 2025—Juneteenth, a men's walk, a WNOV health resource fair and other booths and listening sessions—that gave departments opportunities to reach residents.

The report included outputs and KPIs such as numbers of residents reached, residents connected to direct services, civic-trust trainings, social-determinants surveys, marketing and committee participation. Terry highlighted a recurring collaboration with radio station WNOV: the office co-produces a monthly segment in which county departments explain programs; one department's segment (child support services) expanded to its own monthly slot after strong listener response.

Supervisors asked for clearer, measurable outcome metrics across programs; one supervisor asked how the office will quantify outcomes such as "increased trust in local government." Terry accepted the request and said the Office of Equity expects to expand measurable reporting in 2026.