Asheville’s journey to equalize business opportunities has been fraught with contentious debate and policies that incite strong opinions. In 1993, the city’s first disparity study reported that significant inequities for minority- and women-owned businesses existed in municipal contracting. The subsequent Minority Business Plan of 1998 sought to level the playing field without considering race or gender—a nod to neutrality that now seems a distant memory.
Fast forward to 2018, another disparity study indicated the problem persisted, laying the groundwork for 2020’s Business Inclusion Policy, activated in 2021. This policy, created amid a climate charged with social unrest and activism, focuses on counteracting “past discrimination and barriers.” Skeptics see this as a divisive measure, influenced by the very forces that have polarized our community, questioning the impartiality of a policy shaped under pressure.
Asheville City Council decided at their October 24 meeting to keep this policy going, based on more study findings. This decision shows a never-ending cycle: each study justifies new rules, leading to more studies. Critics say this is like being stuck in a never-ending loop, with the city spending taxpayer money on efforts that don’t have clear goals or ways to tell if they’re actually working. It’s concerning to some that the very firm conducting these studies—tasked with impartial assessment—may have an inherent conflict of interest, given the nature of the policy it’s evaluating. Such arrangements can undermine trust in the process, drawing parallels to the age-old adage about foxes and henhouses.
As the city moves forward with its business inclusion policy, now extended until at least 2028, the question remains: How can Asheville foster an environment where all businesses, irrespective of their owner’s identity, can compete fairly and succeed on merit?
Have you either benefitted or been harmed directly by this city policy? Tell us about it in our comments section below.
