DOWNTOWN TALLAHASSEE, FL — Leon County is reworking what the model could look like for small businesses after the County Commission voted Tuesday to repeal the Minority, Women, and Small Business Enterprise Program.
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The County says the MWSBE program clashes with a pending law cracking down on diversity, equity, and inclusion policies within local government.
The MWSBE program will be folded into the Small Business Enterprise Program. The County has increased the value of projects available for this group to $300,000. In an email sent to ABC 27 earlier this month, the County said 143 firms are certified in the program. The County says it will use the SBE program to leverage support and resources to businesses.
Business leaders like Katrina Tuggerson helped build the MWSBE program. Tuggerson says she is now looking to help with the transition period following the repeal.
"When you're not doing anything but working hard and you're told that you have to dismantle something that gives people opportunities, it's kind of awkward," Tuggerson said.
"We're getting it right and we just got to keep pushing forward and getting it right and having those programs like the MWSBE in place gave us opportunity to get it right. So looking more and focusing more on what the SBE means and the compete standards is where we have to get our businesses to compete," Tuggerson said.
Business owner K. Lennorris Barber says he is trying to plan ahead.
"I'm definitely concerned, but I want to try to keep an open mind, and hopefully they will rewrite the guidelines for those programs," Berber said. "If they can use geography, for instance, that's always could be considered race-neutral, that may help," Berber said.
County staff are set to bring back a restructuring model to the Commission in the fall. This will include how they plan to expand opportunities for small businesses while complying with the law, which takes effect January 1 of next year.
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