“Mayor David Briley revealed a series of changes designed to make doing business with Metro more inclusive on Wednesday, as officials look to address longstanding complaints that minority and women-owned businesses are not equally benefiting from the city’s boom.

“Without exception, all potential contractors deserve equal access to Metro projects, regardless of race or gender,” Briley said in a statement. “For our city to continue to thrive, everyone needs to be at the table.” 

Briley’s push for inclusion comes two months after Metro released a new disparity study, conducted by Atlanta-based firm Griffin & Strong. The study found that of the nearly $3 billion of Metro prime contracts reviewed, 16.54 percent of those taxpayer dollars went to minority and women-owned businesses. That amounts to roughly $480 million out of the $2.9 billion pool.

As part of his announcement, Briley unveiled new legislation, drafted by Griffin & Strong, that will go before Metro Council for its first round of votes next week. That legislation is designed to “level the playing field for not just African-American and Latin-American business owners, but also women business owners,” according to Ashford Hughes, Metro’s chief diversity officer. The legislation is sponsored by council members Tanaka Vercher, Sharon Hurt and Scott Davis.”

Read details of the bill here.