The City of Asheville’s City Council recently voted to allow race and gender conscious policies in its public works. In the past, the City’s inclusion policy was gender- and race-neutral. However a recent disparity study resulted in the City enacting race- and gender-conscious policies on a legal basis. 

In 2018 a disparity study was completed where City contracting undertaken between 2012 and 2017 was studied. The study revealed that 87.2 percent of the total amount of $118 million in contracts were awarded to businesses owned by white men. “Three groups exhibited substantial disparities for prime contracts: Asian American?owned businesses (disparity index of 0), Black American?owned businesses (disparity index of 15), and Native American?owned businesses (disparity index of 2). Non?Hispanic white women?owned businesses and Hispanic American?owned businesses did not exhibit disparities for prime contracts.”

Following the disparity study the City of Asheville’s City Council will begin implementing the inclusion of MBE’s (Minority Business Enterprises) and WBE’s (Women Business Enterprises) by setting annual contract goals in addition to contract-by-contract subcontracting goals. 

For full press release see: 

• https://www.ashevillenc.gov/department/community-economic-development/business-inclusion/disparity-study/ 
• https://drive.google.com/file/d/1cK3z2WCBzpAuatvdjUzXd9f_K6lV-Tm9/view