Minority contracts and the construction of Birmingham's new domed stadium: its a steamy situation that now has one elected official publicly questioning Mayor Larry Langford's allegiance to the African American community.
"I think I'm just as black as you," Langford said during Wednesday's contentious meeting.
"I don't know," retorted State Representative Mary Moore, (D)- Birmingham.
The original issue at hand during Wednesday's BJCC meeting: how much of the work on Birmingham's new domed stadium should go to local, minority businesses. The BJCC board has set a goal of 30%
"I'm insulted with the 30% myself. We're the citizens of this city and county. At some point, we've got to step up," said Moore.
Some elected officials like Moore say at least 50% of the work should go to minority businesses.
That discussion led to exchanges like this:
"I don't know you're degree," said Moore.
"Oh, so there are degrees of black?" questioned Langford.
.
As Birmingham and Jefferson County go forward with the design and construction of a $500 million, 57,500-seat arena, Moore and others also want to make sure minority businesses are hired on as partners with the lead architect ---not sub contractors.
"That means a lot. It means we don't have to worry about when we're going to get paid. We get paid when the city pays. We don't have to wait for the architect or the contractor to pay us," explains Clay Dorsey of Dorsey Architects.
Moore also wants to pass a law that would put two Birmingham City Council members on the BJCC board to make sure contracts go to minority businesses and that they're hired as partners.
Langford is against that idea.
He warns it opens the door for corruption if you have the same people approving contracts, then later deciding who gets them.
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