Special Notice / Hearing: None__
Vote Required: Majority
To: Honorable Board of Supervisors
From: Michael P. Callagy, County Executive
Subject: Ordinance Designating Annual Juneteenth Holiday for County Employees
RECOMMENDATION:
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Adopt an ordinance amending Section 2.71.110(b) of Chapter 2.71 of Title 2 of the County of San Mateo Ordinance Code to designate Juneteenth as an annual holiday for County employees, previously introduced on May 3, 2022, and waive the reading of the ordinance in its entirety.
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BACKGROUND:
Juneteenth, or Juneteenth National Independence Day, commemorates the traditional observance of the end of slavery in the United States. It is observed annually on June 19. While President Abraham Lincoln signed the Emancipation Proclamation on January 1, 1863, declaring the slaves in Confederate territory free, that Proclamation was not announced in Texas until June 19, 1865. The 13th Amendment, which formally abolished slavery in the entire United States, was subsequently ratified in December 1865. Juneteenth is the oldest nationally celebrated commemoration of the ending of slavery in the United States.
On June 17, 2021, President Joseph Biden signed into law a Federal holiday recognizing June 19th as Juneteenth National Independence Day. San Mateo County Ordinance Code Section 2.71.110(b) provides that the Board of Supervisors has discretion to grant as a County holiday any holiday appointed by the President of the United States.
DISCUSSION:
The County of San Mateo is a welcoming community dedicated to diversity, equity, and inclusion in its services. June 19th celebrates the end of slavery in the U.S. as the Emancipation Proclamation reached the last remaining enslaved African Americans in the Confederacy and has been celebrated by the African American community for over 150 years. The County of San Mateo recognizes the history of racism in our country and how it has led to many disparities in education, job attainment, housing, criminal justice, and healthcare for Black people and beyond. Juneteenth is a significant opportunity to honor the principles of the Declaration of Independence and celebrate the many achievements and contributions African Americans have made and continue to make in the County of San Mateo and across our nation.
We hereby recommend that the County of San Mateo adopt an Ordinance in which it designates June 19th as the Juneteenth holiday in accordance with Section 2.71.110(b) of the County of San Mateo Ordinance Code relating to holidays for County employees. At its meeting on May 3, 2022, the Board of Supervisors voted to introduce such an ordinance.
The ordinance has been approved as to form by the County Attorney’s Office.
FISCAL IMPACT:
The cost/value of the additional holiday is estimated at $3.7M. The cost estimates are already accounted for in department budgets.