Overview
- Mayor Cherelle Parker signed an executive order Tuesday that removes race-based affirmative action from city procurement.
- The city will use a tiered system that prioritizes small and locally headquartered firms, including bid preferences for local businesses.
- Registered minority-, woman- and disabled-owned companies that meet the new definitions will be grandfathered into the program.
- The order sets no numerical target for awards under the new approach, and officials expect most prior contractors to retain preferential status.
- City leaders point to legal risk confirmed by outside counsel and say prior DEI rules underperformed, noting only about 20% of registered firms had active contracts and citing a Chetty study on weak upward mobility.