Houston council to vote on Chapter 15 changes after disparity study as stakeholders urge fixes for minority- and women-owned businesses

Houston Mayor John Whitmire and the City Council heard extended public testimony and council debate on proposals to amend Chapter 15 of the city code using a recently completed disparity study, with supporters urging the council to preserve and strengthen the city’s minority- and women-owned business enterprise (MWBE) program.

The council was told it will vote the following day on an ordinance amendment that would adopt the disparity study as the basis for future program changes; council members and community representatives said the current MWBE categories would remain in place while the city develops additional certification, wrap‑around services and other supports.

Why it matters: The disparity study is intended to document gaps in city contracting and provide a legal and factual foundation for program changes. Supporters said adopting the study will help the city defend the program in court and create targeted supports for smaller firms that currently lack capacity to compete for contracts.

In public comment, Roger Harris, identified as a subject-matter expert on WMWBE programs, urged city leaders and business owners to consult the Office of Business Opportunity for accurate information and to “seek wise counsel” about next steps, saying “there is so much incorrect information being presented.”

Representatives of businesses and civic organizations told councilors the study shows measurable disparities that deserve action. Donald Naylor, representing the Greater Houston Black Chamber, said the chamber supports the city’s plan to adopt the study and “look forward to working with our community partners, with this council, with this administration, and the office of business opportunity to make sure we overcome the barriers to opportunities for our constituents.”

Dominique Calhoun, chair of the Greater Houston Black Chamber Foundation, cited specific figures from the study, saying that black‑owned firms made up 7.7% of available firms in city procurement but received 5.5% of contract dollars. “The study's data accurately reflects what we know,” Calhoun said, and he urged passage of the ordinance to begin corrective steps.

Faith leaders and other community advocates also spoke in favor of adopting the study and then continuing to work collaboratively on program design. Reverend Dr. Angela Raven Anderson of Wheeler Avenue Baptist Church said decisions should be “data driven” and that her congregation supports the ordinance while seeking opportunities to help small businesses access city contracts.

Council discussion: Mayor Pro Tem Castiglitz Tatum summarized the council's approach to the measure, saying amendments before the council would adopt the disparity study and provide time to add a veterans’ certification, “wrap‑around” programs for micro and small businesses (generally those with less than $1 million in revenue) and to retain the existing MBE and WBE certification categories. “This is going to give us some time to really delve into those two categories to create a win‑win for the city of Houston,” she said, praising Office of Business Opportunity director Hord’s outreach to stakeholders.

Mayor Whitmire and others repeatedly framed the vote as a tactical step to protect the overall program while further policy work continues. Whitmire warned that inadequate consensus could imperil the program in litigation and urged stakeholders to build support. “If we don't have this consensus going forward as we go to court to defend the entire program… it will be in jeopardy,” he said.

Planned next steps and directions: Councilors said the immediate action would be a vote to amend Chapter 15 to adopt the disparity study; if approved, staff would continue stakeholder engagement and return with detailed policy drafts, including: developing a certification for veteran‑owned small businesses, creating wrap‑around services for micro and small firms, retaining MBE/WBE categories, and preparing documentation to defend the program in court. Council members repeatedly said firms would remain in the program while those policy changes are worked out.

Points of contention and context: Speakers and council members acknowledged disagreement among some stakeholder groups; Council member Ramirez noted the Houston Hispanic Chamber had not agreed to accept the disparity study. Councilors said they did not expect unanimity but emphasized the need for a defensible, data‑driven path forward.

What was not decided: The transcript records no final ordinance adoption or amendment vote during this meeting. Councilors scheduled a formal vote on the Chapter 15 amendment for the next day. Details of particular policy changes beyond the broad directions described above were not finalized in the session recorded here.

Public participation and record: Dozens of residents, business leaders and faith leaders spoke during the public‑comment period in support of adopting the study and investing in supports for small, minority‑ and women‑owned firms. Councilors said Office of Business Opportunity staff have held frequent outreach meetings in the weeks before the vote.

Looking ahead: If the council adopts the study as described, the next phase will be drafting specific policy language, establishing implementation timelines and preparing the administrative record to withstand likely legal challenges. Councilors and community leaders said they view both the study and follow‑up programs as essential to increasing contracting access for historically underserved firms.