By Caitlyn Freeman
Baltimore Watchdog Staff Writer
Women- and minority-owned businesses (MWBE) received far fewer contracts from the Baltimore County government than they should have between 2012 and 2017, according to a study released this week.
The study by Mason Tillman Associates, Ltd, of Oakland found that only 9% of county contracts were awarded to MWBEs during the five-year period that was analyzed.
It also found that the number of MWBE’s within the market should have resulted in those kinds of businesses receiving 38% of available contracts.
County Executive Johnny Olszewski, Jr., who released the study on Thursday, said that his administration has made it a priority to increase the number of county contracts awarded to business owned by women and minorities.
“These new findings confirm much of what we knew of prior practices, affirm the steps we’ve already taken, and inspire us to recommit to doing more to ensure greater opportunity for our minority and women entrepreneurs in the years ahead,” Olszewski said.
He said that Baltimore County’s minority and small business manager, Carla Tucker, has implemented several changes in how county contracts are awarded in an attempt to increase the percentage given to MWBEs.
These include instituting a data management system to track MWBE contracts, expanding direct outreach to businesses owned by women and minorities, and developing a program to help disadvantaged business enterprises.
While the measures taken by the county have not yet seen a tangible impact on the number of contracts awarded to MWBEs, Tucker said she hopes that will change as her office increases its staff.
“We are working now to expand the staffing with my department,” Tucker said. “I’m working with establishing staffing and other departments to assist with the compliance portion of it and the expansion of the software packages that we’re using.”
Sheila Dixon, the marketing manager for the Maryland Minority Contractors Association, said that the study was “very telling,” adding that she was not surprised by the findings.
While she’s glad Olszewski is doing more to address the issue, Dixon said that more needs to be done with the training of those doing the contract procurement for the county as well as increased outreach.
“So, I mean, overall, in the beginning, African Americans, Hispanics and women, the numbers were really bad,” said Dixon, who served as mayor of Baltimore City from 2007 to 2010. “And then some changes were made in the last couple of years that really helped women. And you can see a real spike in numbers, but you didn’t see a big increase for African Americans or Hispanics. So, there’s a lot of work that has to be done.”