County Board of Supervisors · Tuesday, September 29, 2026, 9:00 AM · Item 10 · REGULAR AGENDA
Women's rights ordinance in concept, plus $199,955 code-rewrite contract
In plain English
The Board would give first approval to a new county law, Chapter 8.51 of the county code, that writes the principles of the Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination Against Women (an international agreement on women's rights, often shortened to CEDAW) into county policy. Under it, the county would look for gender disparities, promote equal access to county programs, services, jobs and decision-making, use gender-broken-down data, and fold gender-equity considerations into its existing planning, budgeting and program review work. A yes vote approves the ordinance in concept, sets a second reading and final adoption for October 20, 2026, and directs the Clerk of the Board to publish a summary notice in a newspaper at least five days before that date.
It sets an ongoing standard that county departments weigh gender equity in programs, services, hiring and budgeting, and requires a report to the Board at least once every three years, while keeping the Women's Commission in an advisory role.
Key facts
- Adds Chapter 8.51 to the Santa Cruz County Code adopting CEDAW principles.
- Second reading and final adoption would be scheduled for October 20, 2026; newspaper notice must be published at least five days beforehand under Government Code Section 25124.
- On February 27, 2024, the Board reaffirmed Santa Cruz County as a CEDAW County; on September 9, 2025, the Women's Commission presented eleven recommendations, including this ordinance.
- Reporting to the Board at least once every three years, with CEDAW initiatives and measurable actions folded into relevant departments' equal employment opportunity/civil rights plans.
- Staff state the recommended actions have no direct fiscal impact, and the ordinance does not require a new program, position, expenditure or appropriation unless the Board separately authorizes one.
Reasons to support
- It turns a 2024 Board resolution into binding county code, which staff say adds accountability and transparency to the county's gender-equity commitments.
- It is designed to avoid new costs: implementation uses existing data collection, strategic planning, budgeting, performance measurement and reporting processes, and the County Executive Office coordinates it with departments.
- It carries out one of the eleven recommendations the Women's Commission brought to the Board in September 2025 and that the County Executive Office reviewed on March 24, 2026.
Reasons to oppose or change it
- The duties are written with qualifiers — the county would act "as appropriate and within available resources" and "where practicable" — so critics could argue the ordinance commits to little that is enforceable.
- Because no new positions or money are authorized, departments would absorb the added data work, equity analysis and three-year reporting within current staffing and budgets.
- Some may question whether a county code chapter is needed at all, given the Board already reaffirmed CEDAW status on February 27, 2024, and whether other Women's Commission recommendations should take priority.
Official wording
Consider approving in concept an “Ordinance Adding Chapter 8.51 to the Santa Cruz County Code to Adopt the Principles of the Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination Against Women,” and take related actions (County Executive Office) 12.1 Approve agreement with BKF Engineers in the amount of $199,955 for Phase 1 of Streamline Santa Cruz County Comprehensive Code Amendments, and take related actions (Community Development and Infrastructure - Planning) Scheduled Item -- 10:45 AM Scheduled and Regular Departmental items – 10:45 AM or thereafter
Summary written by claude-opus-5 from the agenda and the Staff Report. It can contain mistakes. The official documents govern.