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Subcommittee backs Portsmouth move to shift minority-business reporting to city manager
Summary
The subcommittee voted 6-2 to report HB 16 34, a bill carried by Delegate Estelle Guede Hayes that transfers responsibility for small- and minority-business data collection, linked to Portsmouth's disparity study, from the procurement officer to the city manager.
Delegate Estelle Guede Hayes presented HB 16 34, which would allow the City of Portsmouth to change which municipal office is responsible for collecting small- and minority-owned business data tied to the city’s disparity study. "Instead of those role ... being done from the procurement officer for the city, that responsibility will be under the authority and auspices of the city manager," Hayes said.
Sherry Neal, intergovernmental affairs manager for Portsmouth, testified in support and confirmed the change was approved by the city council after public hearings. Neal said disparity studies in Portsmouth have been ongoing since 2015 and the bill would help the city implement findings more effectively.
With no opposition in the room, a committee member moved to report the bill. The motion carried and the clerk recorded the report as 6 to 2.
Why it matters: The change shifts administrative responsibility for minority-business reporting within Portsmouth’s city government and is intended to streamline implementation of disparity-study recommendations.
What’s next: HB 16 34 was reported out of subcommittee 6-2 and will continue through the legislative process.
