Lexington city leaders now have information from a disparity study regarding minority and women-owned businesses. Details of the report came during Tuesday’s Council work session. The review covered contracts awarded from July 2016 to June 2020. One of the areas studied was the number of jobs awarded to minority and women-owned businesses and availability. Council Member Amanda Mays Bledsoe asked about that information.
“Just because they are available, it doesn’t mean they chose to do it. So, would it be unfair to interpret it, well we didn’t meet the benchmark. It wasn’t from a lack of effort. People just didn’t apply to do it, as opposed to them being available to do it,” said Mays Bledsoe.
Disparity study consultant Iris McClish responded it’s more nuanced than that, adding there are barriers that small businesses and particularly minority and women-owned businesses face in the market.
McClish told the Council one question they may have is how to move those available businesses by encouragement and support.
“Is it helping them grow into bigger businesses so they can compete for larger contracts? Is it taking some of those smaller opportunities and making them more accessible? Is it fixing things like payment mechanisms?” asked McClish.
The review included visiting 37 different businesses and surveying many more by phone. McClish said data showed out of $460 million spent by the city over that period, 12% was awarded to minority and women-owned businesses.
The study came as a result of a recommendation from the Mayor’s Commission on Racial Justice and Equality report that was issued in 2020.
