St. Louis County gives fewer contracts to minority and women-owned businesses.

Minority- and women-owned businesses and contractors won just 17% of the $195 million that St. Louis County spent in contracts between 2017 and 2021, according to an independent report commissioned by the county. Arizona-based Keen Independent Research concluded that 40% of those contracts should have been fulfilled by minority- and women-owned businesses, according to an availability analysis. “These disparities suggest that there are fewer white woman-owned construction firms and African American- and white woman-owned other services firms in the local marketplace than there would be if there were a level playing field for all groups to form and sustain businesses,” according to the report. A program to support these businesses is already in place, and without it, the utilization dropped to 5%. “It’s a very good old boy situation. As a Black man, I wasn’t welcome. For people who looklike me, it’s hard to crack,” wrote the owner of a service firm. The summary report includes anonymous complaints of a double standard, bid shopping and closed networks. Women are also underrepresented in several areas. “I do feel like women in construction, I feel like we’re in a man’s world,” said a white female owner of a professional services company included...