CLAYTON — ºüÀêÊÓƵ County has made progress on hiring , though significant disparities still exist, according to a study the county released Wednesday.
The county program, established in 2018, aims to eliminate discrimination in its contracting decisions and to remove barriers to contractors who might not otherwise try to work with the county, among other goals. County Executive Sam Page sought a study to see how the county’s efforts measured up.
“The results show that we have made progress when it comes to hiring minority contractors and ensuring that the workers on each job site are diverse,†Page said at a news conference Wednesday. “But what this study shows is that there is room for improvement.â€
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From 2017 through 2021, about 17% of county contract dollars went to businesses owned by people of color or women, the study by Phoenix-based Keen Independent Research found. If there was a level playing field for those businesses, 40% of county dollars would go to them.
The firm sought input from hundreds of people who might have done business with the county if it were easier. One said access to capital and credit posed barriers. Another said their bids were denied because larger firms swallowed up opportunities. Others said it seemed the county had already chosen who it wanted to work with, and another said there was a “good ol’ boy†network for choosing contractors.
But the county has made progress under the Page administration, spokesman Doug Moore said. The minority- and woman-owned business enterprise (MWBE) program expanded from two staffers to six so the county has “the bandwidth to actively market the contracts that we have.†The county has tweaked ordinances to make it easier for those companies to bid and become qualified as MWBEs. And it has increased the number of contractors who meet those qualifications, Moore said.
The Keen study, which cost $400,000, recommended the county create a three-year plan for increasing MWBE participation — including setting more specific goals and expanding workforce development programs. The county should also partner with ºüÀêÊÓƵ to achieve its goals, the report found.
The public will have two opportunities to comment on the study results during two virtual meetings: noon on Feb. 6 and 6 p.m. on Feb. 7. Registration information may be found on the county’s homepage at under the .
Comments may also be emailed to 2023stlouisjointdisparitystudies@keenindependent.com.