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Mission Statement

The Mission of the Office of Human Rights is to enforce the County's anti-discrimination laws in housing, commercial real estate, employment, public accommodations, and intimidation. The Office also provides training, public education programs, and promotes the increased understanding and tolerance among diverse groups.

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Budget Overview

The total approved FY24 Operating Budget for the Office of Human Rights is $1,963,795, an increase of $327,889 or 20.04 percent from the FY23 Approved Budget of $1,635,906. Personnel Costs comprise 81.04 percent of the budget for 11 full-time position(s) and no part-time position(s), and a total of 11.60 FTEs. Total FTEs may include seasonal or temporary positions and may also reflect workforce charged to or from other departments or funds. Operating Expenses account for the remaining 18.96 percent of the FY24 budget.

County Priority Outcomes

While this program area supports all eight of the County Result Areas, the following are emphasized:

  • Thriving Youth and Families
  • Effective, Sustainable Government

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Program Performance Measures

Performance measures for this department are included below (where applicable), with multi-program measures displayed at the front of this section and program-specific measures shown with the relevant program. The FY23 estimates reflect funding based on the FY23 approved budget. The FY24 and FY25 figures are performance targets based on the FY24 approved budget and funding for comparable service levels in FY25.

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Initiatives

  • Continue implementation and outreach efforts of Ban-the-Box laws that prohibits employers and housing providers from asking applicants about criminal history on job or housing applications.

  • Planning and coordination for the County's Juneteenth Celebration, the observance of November as the month of Remembrance and Reconciliation, and other activities focused on mitigating the incidents of hate violence in the County.

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Innovations and Productivity Improvements

  • Planned and coordinated the first two-day Juneteenth event as the County celebrated its first official holiday observance with an estimated 4,000 people in attendance.

  • Coordinated with the Remembrance and Reconciliation Commission the observance of November as the month of Remembrance and Reconciliation in the County. Activities focus on the recognition of three men lynched in Montgomery County in the late 1800s: George Peck, John Diggs Dorsey, and Sidney Randolph.

  • In accordance with the Community Reinvestment Act (CRA) created a minority business training and development program in conjunction with the Human Rights Commission and a private bank. The ten-week intensive program has had 70 small businesses successfully complete the program.

  • Held the second in a three-part series in partnership with the US Equal Employment Opportunity Commission, "A Virtual Employer Summit", focused on age discrimination and the multigenerational workplace, including corporate, academic, and federal enforcement officials as presenters.

Program Descriptions

  Compliance

This program investigates and resolves formal complaints of worker protection violations and discrimination in employment, housing, commercial and residential real estate transactions, public accommodations, and intimidations through a formal complaint process or mediation....

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  Community Mediation and Public Affairs

This program supports and promotes the Human Rights Commission and Committee Against Hate Violence, Interagency Fair Housing Coordinating Group, and the Commission on Reconciliation and Remembrance in their outreach and education efforts; partners with other local, State, and Federal offices; and conducts various forums to promote increased understanding and tolerance...

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  Fair Housing

This program monitors the County's Fair Housing Ordinance through the Interagency Fair Housing Work Group in order to coordinate the activity of County departments, offices, and agencies to prevent housing discrimination; and to perform testing of housing providers. The Office investigates and seeks to resolve housing discrimination complaints....

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  Administration

This program provides overall direction of the Office, administration of the budget, personnel, procurement, automation, and support services. Also provided in this program is funding for human relations awards and programs....

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Budget Trends
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Program Contacts

Contact James Stowe of the Office of Human Rights at 240.777.8490 or Alicia Singh of the Office of Management and Budget at 240.777.2780 for more information regarding this department's operating budget.

Related Links
Budget Summary
TitleActual
FY22
Budget
FY23
Estimate
FY23
Approved
FY24
%Chg
Bud/App
COUNTY GENERAL FUND
EXPENDITURES
Salaries and Wages786322.001162017.00 984040.00 1259744.008.4
Employee Benefits203978.00305403.00 256653.00 331618.008.6
County General Fund Personnel Costs990300.001467420.00 1240693.00 1591362.008.4
Operating Expenses309070.00168486.00 243486.00 372433.00121.1
County General Fund Expenditures1299370.001635906.00 1484179.00 1963795.0020.0
PERSONNEL
Full-Time11.0011.00 11.00 11.000.0
Part-Time0.000.00 0.00 0.000.0
FTEs11.6011.60 11.60 11.600.0
REVENUES
EEOC Reimbursement0.0032000.00 32000.00 32000.000.0
County General Fund Revenues0.0032000.00 32000.00 32000.000.0
FY24 Approved Changes
TitleExpendituresFTEs
COUNTY GENERAL FUND
FY23 ORIGINAL APPROPRIATION163590611.60
Changes (with service impacts)
Add: Funding for Juneteenth and MLK Celebrations [Administration]700000.00
Add: Funding for the Remembrance and Reconciliation Commission [Administration]560000.00
Add: Funding for the Community Reinvestment Act Initiative [Administration]400000.00
Other Adjustments (with no service impacts)
Increase Cost: Annualization of FY23 Compensation Increases549450.00
Increase Cost: FY24 Compensation Adjustment538220.00
Restore: Funding for Ban-the-Box Campaign [Administration]400000.00
Increase Cost: Annualization of FY23 Personnel Costs179510.00
Increase Cost: Printing and Mail2070.00
Decrease Cost: Motor Pool Adjustment-22600.00
Decrease Cost: Retirement Adjustment-27760.00
FY24 APPROVED196379511.60
Program Summary
Program NameFY23 APPR
Expenditures
FY23 APPR
FTEs
FY24 APPR
Expenditures
FY24 APPR
FTEs
Administration3078221.005200641.00
Community Mediation and Public Affairs502610.50568970.50
Compliance10755508.0012808029.00
Fair Housing2022732.101060321.10
Total163590611.60196379511.60
Funding Parameter Items ($000s)
TitleFY24FY25FY26FY27FY28FY29
COUNTY GENERAL FUND
EXPENDITURES
FY24 Approved1964.0000001964.0000001964.0000001964.0000001964.0000001964.000000
No inflation or compensation change is included in outyear projections.
Labor Contracts0.00000072.00000072.00000072.00000072.00000072.000000
These figures represent the estimated annualized cost of general wage adjustments, service increments, and other negotiated items.
Subtotal Expenditures1964.0000002036.0000002036.0000002036.0000002036.0000002036.000000