P r i o r i t i z i n g L a n g u a g e S e r v i c e s a n d L E P C o m m u n i t y Support
LANGUAGE SERVICES BUDGETING
P r i o r i t i z i n g L a n g u a g e S e r v i c e s a n d L E P C o m m u n i t y Support
Increase Department language services budgets and support for community partners serving LEP individuals .
Departments ’ language services budgets fell by 25.3 % in the past fiscal year . For several Departments , further research indicates that the FY 2022-2023 language services budget decreases were likely attributable to regular seasonal and operational fluctuations . That said , Departments should work to increase their spending and planning for language services costs as part of their annual budgeting process . A budget for language access activities includes : compensatory pay for certified bilingual staff , expenses for translated documents and telephonic interpretation , on-site language services vendor expenses , and other costs not covered in these categories . One approach that Departments can take in budget planning is to consider their annual LEP client interactions , translation and interpretation requests received , and the amount of documents they translated to develop budgets that are in alignment with community needs . In the context of the current City economic climate and budget constraints , it will be important for Departments to be intentional in partnering with City suppliers and community partners to bolster capacity for serving LEP individuals when delivering Department information and services .
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