Page 2 - Florida Sentinel 10-28-16 Online Edition

Feature
City’s Minority Business Manager Says Groups Are ‘Grasping At Straws’ About Black Spending Ordinance
BY LEON B. CREWS Sentinel Staff Writer
After listening to a presen- tation by representatives from the Tampa Organization Of Black Affairs (TOBA) and the Saturday Morning Breakfast Club last Thursday, City Coun- cil members decided to delay an ordinance aimed at chang- ing the language in the City’s Minority Business Develop- ment’s policy.
A representative speaking for TOBA and the Breakfast Club, said the ordinance needs to be changed, because only 2% of minority contracts went to African Americans over a 5- year period, and that’s unac- ceptable.
Greg Hart, City of Tampa Minority Business Develop- ment Manager, said he doesn’t understand why another ordi- nance is necessary.
“We have an ordinance in place now that subscribes to the guidelines set by the Supreme Court. We sus- pended the program for 4 years during the administra- tion of Mayor Pam Iorio, because the information wasn’t accurate.
“What was going on at that time was a disparity issue, not discrimination. We completed
GREG HART
JAMES RANSOM
a 4-year analysis in 2015, and part of that process involved the implementation of a new software system.”
Hart explains that in 2012, it was revealed there was a dis- parity in contracts with certain minority groups. We’ve pro- vided the information that shows what we’ve been doing and in 2014 we unveiled a re- port to show what we’ve been doing to make sure there is fair play.”
Hart said the analysis has to be based on competitive awarded contracts, and you have to break down the city’s budget on where the dollars are going.
“TOBA presented a chart to us and asked us to fill it out. It doesn’t properly represent where the funds go, and for what purpose.
“The disparity review showed some minority con- tractors don’t have the capac- ity as a prime to execute million dollar-plus contracts. Just putting numbers on a re- port doesn’t clearly indicate where the funds are going, and
what’s left for minority serv- ices.”
Hart pointed out that the city rarely procures vertical construction activities.
“We just don’t do a lot of construction contracts. Under the sheltered market program, African Americans received al- most 27% of the contracts.
“I think TOBA is grasp- ing the wrong straws with their chart, and it’s mostly a financial report. The numbers are correct. The analysis is incorrect.”
Hart said in his opinion, there’s nothing wrong with the
present ordinance or the lan- guage, but there can be some tweaking done.
“I think they’re asking for the wrong thing, because we have an ordinance that ad- dresses their concerns.”
The City Attorney will re- turn November 17th with the proposed ordinance for a first reading.
In response, TOBA Board Member and Chair of the Eco- nomic Development Commit- tee, and Saturday Morning Breakfast Group President, James Ransom, said joint economic development com- mittees from TOBA and The Saturday Morning Breakfast Group requested the city pro- vide a report to show its actual total spending for goods and services over a 5-year period by race and gender.
“The figures provided by the City of Tampa revealed that they spent 2% of $288,537,588 with African American owned businesses. The city has cited a Supreme Court decision as cause to jus- tify its spending, which has not translated to equity, fairness or the true economic inclusion of, or actual spending with, African American owned busi- nesses. This issue is bigger than City staff assigned to do a job. This issue is bigger than TOBA, the Breakfast Club, or
any individual. This is a matter of whether the City will do what is right.
“This is a matter of respect for the African American com- munity, which represents ap- proximately 24% of the taxpayers who also vote. This is about having elected repre- sentation that is sensitive to our special interest.”
Ransom went on to say that this is a City of Tampa policy, practice, and procedure matter.
“This is about being held ac- countable for failure to per- form in our best interest. There are only 2 key decision points within the city that have the authority to close this gap, and that is the City Council, and the Mayor. The Council, among its other responsibili- ties, approves the City’s budget, and all City contracts. Once the City budget is ap- proved, the Mayor has the sole authority to determine how funds are spent, with whom, and for what, demographically by race and gender.”
Ransom said whether you’re in business or not, we all should send a message to the Council members and the Mayor to use whatever legal means available to signifi- cantly increase its spending with African American owned businesses.
PAGE 2-A FLORIDA SENTINEL BULLETIN PUBLISHED EVERY TUESDAY AND FRIDAY FRIDAY, OCTOBER 28, 2016