In a move that should resolve a complaint filed with the U.S. Department of Justice, the Maricopa County Board of Supervisors will have Spanish-speaking interpreters available during all formal board meetings. The interpreters will be provided, at least initially, by the Maricopa County Superior Court and paid for by the county. The interpreters are part of a “Maricopa County Limited-English Proficiency Policy,” approved today on a 4-1 vote.
The complaint, filed last March, alleged the board failed to provide language access for limited-English speakers during public meetings. It springs from a meeting in December, 2007 when a community activist addressed the board in Spanish. Later, Silverio Garcia filed a complaint alleging civil rights violations. Since then, attorneys from the board’s general litigation department and one appointed by County Attorney Andrew Thomas have been working with federal officials for a solution.
“It has never been the intention of the board to discriminate against non-English speakers,” Supervisor Mary Rose Wilcox said. “But we need a solid, workable remedy and this is a good one. We want to get this issue behind us, work with the Department of Justice and move on. I am proud of what we are doing. This goes beyond what is being done by other governments.”
The current Latino population in Maricopa County now approaches 30 percent. The supervisors said the new policy will accommodate this reality and make county government more accessible to the non-English speaking population.
“The business of government is conducted in English. We’re not changing that,” said Supervisor Don Stapley, of Mesa. “ We want to accommodate those individuals who need help to understand these public meetings.”
The new policy includes speaker forms and public announcements in English and Spanish in order make the meetings more understandable to Spanish speakers. The categories and subcategories of board agendas will also be translated into Spanish. The new language policy is considered the most comprehensive in Arizona and might serve as a model for other jurisdictions here and across the nation. Most local governments currently make interpreters available to non-English speakers on request. The new policy is considered to be “a work in progress,” flexible enough to adapt.