(The Center Square) – Chicago Mayor Brandon Johnson says his administration wants to know if city contractors reflect the diversity of the people whose tax dollars pay for their work.
Johnson signed an executive order Wednesday to establish new procurement standards for companies that do business with Chicago.
The order requires current contractors and subcontractors to disclose whether they have received more than $500,000 through contracts with government entities or law enforcement agencies and whether they have faced certain civil or administrative proceedings that alleged excessive force, unlawful detention, unconstitutional policing or other violations of federal or state civil rights laws.
Johnson said his administration cannot control decisions made in Washington, but it can control what it does with the people’s money in Chicago.
“We are using the enormous purchasing power of the city of Chicago to put our values into practice, strengthening protections against corruption, workplace discrimination and wage theft, demanding greater transparency from the corporations that receive our tax dollars,” the mayor said before signing the order at Arise Chicago on the city’s West Side.
The order allows the mayor to create a task force with up to 12 members who can propose additional procurement standards.
Johnson said companies are walking away from diversity commitments while the Trump administration wants to stop collecting information about who gets opportunities and who is left behind.
“Well, not in Chicago. If you want to do business with this city, we want to know whether the people leading your company reflect the diversity of the communities whose tax dollars are paying your contracts,” Johnson said.
Dorian Warren, co-president of Community Change Action and spokesperson for Not With Our Money, said companies that commit a public integrity violation could be disqualified from city contracts.
“And the biggest contractors will have to tell the public who else is paying them, including law enforcement agencies, and answer for their record on civil rights,” Warren said.
When asked if his order might prevent any current vendors from doing business with the city, Johnson said companies will have to revisit their practices if they wish to carry on.
Chicago Flips Red founder Zoe Leigh said none of the mayor’s executive orders override federal law or the authority of the federal government.
“What concerns me is that Chicagoans are dealing with the consequences of years of reckless spending, including COVID-era spending, migrant spending and (community violence intervention) spending, while working and middle-class residents are struggling,” Leigh told The Center Square.
Leigh said the executive order she would like to see is a forensic audit of city spending.
“You can’t demand ‘integrity’ from businesses while refusing to give taxpayers the same level of transparency and accountability regarding the city’s own spending,” Leigh said.
