Equity and Inclusion Statement

The City of Wauwatosa is committed to creating a positive environment of equity and inclusion for all of its employees, those who live or work in Wauwatosa and visitors to Wauwatosa. We believe that embracing the concept of equity and inclusion improves our community for everyone, and will assist us in ending disparities in quality of living that exist because of historic policies, practices, and systems in Wauwatosa.

As a City, we strive to create an inclusive and equitable community by embracing the following guiding principles:

• Develop inclusive structures and programs throughout the city to fulfill our responsibility to deliver service excellence to residents, as well as visitors and employees in our community.
• Strive to be a vibrant and welcoming community of choice that values diversity, equity, and inclusion as a critical part of our service provision.
• Demonstrate equity-sensitive leadership through our department directors and managers who will strive to ensure that equity and inclusion are considered throughout decision-making processes and also that employees are valued for their unique contributions.
• Recognize that programs and services may have different impacts on different groups of people, and consider the impact of our work on different people, including historically marginalized groups such as racial and ethnic minorities, immigrants, the LGBTQ+ community, seniors, and individuals with disabilities.
• Listen to different viewpoints as an important part of connecting with the community to foster opportunities for respectful dialogue between individuals with different opinions and lived experiences to assist us in forming ideas for policy outcomes that make Wauwatosa better for everyone.
• Work to ensure transparency and access to information about the city government’s work, including clarity around how to be informed about topics under consideration and how to engage with the city on matters under consideration.

The Wauwatosa Common Council adopted this statement on January 18, 2022.

View or download a PDF of this statement.