Spencer Administration Bungles Suspension of Contractor Diversity Program
The Spencer administration’s decision to stop the long-running city program promoting contracting and procurement with firms run by women and minorities stands as potentially the most dramatic policy change made by the young administration. The decision rolls back a policy first put in place by Mayor Spencer’s mentor, former mayor Vince Shoemehl. According to Mayor Spencer and her staff, this decision was made in response to letters from the Trump administration demanding federal grant recipients, both public and private, roll back Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI) programs. It is no secret that the Trump administration has been actively targeting DEI programs, but the decision to completely suspend the program has caught many by surprise. Concerns around the move continue to grow, despite Mayor Spencer’s publicly released explanatory letter. It is safe to say that the missive did little to quell the anger felt by many in our community.
The city’s contractor diversity program has had varying levels of success over the years. Especially in the program’s earliest years, it was routinely ignored by local construction firms. Luckily, compliance has improved over the decades. While some projects still fall short of meeting these goals, most would count the program as an important step forward in building a more equitable city and business ecosystem. It has also produced some notable successes. Tony Thompson’s Kwame Building Group serves as a good example of the program’s ability to help minority-owned and women-owned businesses grow and become major players in the region. It has grown significantly and become a major player in the region’s construction industry. The company is so successful that it has begun a philanthropic arm, which aims to help others find pathways to success.
After the letter’s release, numerous Black aldermen have leveled an accusation that the Spencer administration made and announced this decision without giving them any warning. These aldermen believe that the program is legal and should be reinstated. Their complaints follow President of the Board of Aldermen Megan Green’s criticism of the administration’s decision.
For her part, Mayor Spencer says that her staff have been in regular communication with all the aldermen, calling their decision to release the letter “unfortunate”. According to the Post-Dispatch, she went on to state, “Sometimes people take out their feelings in ways that you can’t predict, but we’re going to continue to move forward here.” Mound City Messenger has submitted a “Sunshine Request” for copies of recent emails between the mayor’s office and the aldermen who have said they were not notified. We hope to provide clarity to the public on which side is being most truthful.
Virvus Jones, former city Comptroller and father of former Mayor Tishaura Jones, was quoted in the St. Louis American as saying, “St. Louis is the only city with a large Black population in this country that’s even pondering doing this. No other Democratic mayor — white or Black — is bending over to appease Trump.” After some research, this appears to be a fair line of attack. As of writing, the only comparably sized city that seems to have made a similar decision is Orlando, FL. While the cities and metros are of similar size, Orlando’s Black population makes up a significantly smaller proportion of that city’s population. It stands at over 20%, roughly half of St. Louis’s Black population percentage. Meanwhile, cities such as Fort Worth, TX, and Columbus, OH, are discussing suspending their programs, while others are waiting for ongoing court challenges to provide further guidance.
In all fairness to the current administration, the City of St. Louis doesn’t have the resources to fight the federal government. At the same time, it doesn’t seem that the city has produced anything indicating this decision was being made in the face of imminent cuts. Instead, it is being framed as a preemptive move that will help avoid a potential collision with Trump’s Department of Justice. That we have done this so much sooner than other locales indicates that the threat was likely not imminent. If there is communication from federal agencies saying that said cuts are imminent to the city’s federal funding, it has not been produced by the administration. Instead, the public is being asked to take the administration’s word that this was done under duress and at an appropriate time. Mound City Messenger has additionally filed a “Sunshine Request” with the city regarding this matter. We are seeking copies of any recent correspondence from the federal government threatening city funding.
The mayor’s open letter did note that the administration is seeking a new, “community-centered” path forward. The letter states that this updated, federally-compliant framework will be ready for the Board of Aldermen to consider in mid-September. Given that the northside aldermen who have spoken up are community leaders, it is apparent that this effort at engagement and building consensus on a new framework has gotten off to a poor start. Knowing the importance and sensitivities surrounding this issue, it is hard to see the administration’s handling of the program’s suspension as anything less than poorly handled. It is a mistake that will likely cost the administration needed trust in this and future matters.
