Mayor Marty Walsh signed an executive order Wednesday that sets city spending goals for businesses led by minorities and women that bid on work as part of Boston's public procurement process.
In addition to establishing spending goals for minority- and women-owned firms competing for contracts in construction, architecture and engineering and professional services in Boston, the executive order states that the city will provide training and assistance to minority- and women-owned enterprises to encourage successful bidding and performance on these contracts.
"As Boston expands its footprint in the global economy, we are using the tools at our disposal to ensure that everyone in our city is included in this growth," said Walsh in a press release. "Ensuring equal access across all modes of local government is more than a moral imperative -- it is just the right thing to do. We must address economic inequities and build for a stronger and healthier Boston -- a city that provides the same ladder of opportunity for all."
The Boston Globe reports that "the city also plans to conduct a study analyzing gender and racial bias in the process of awarding contracts in construction and other services." The study is expected to be launched by the end of the year and to take less than two years to complete, after which the city can update its hiring and contracting goals. Check out the Globe piece for more information on the city's new spending goals.