Raising a cry over hue in contract bids.

• Author: Maley, Frank
• Position: Tar Heel Tattler - United Construction Inc. sues city of Charlotte - Brief Article

Last fall, Ali Bahmanyar told the Charlotte City Council that the city's Minority- and Women-owned Business Development Program had helped him expand his United Construction Inc. At the same meeting, Assistant City Engineer Jeb Blackwell called United one of the program's success stories.

But whatever gratitude Babmanyar might have felt withered after the council, later that night, rejected United's $2.5 million bid on a road project. Three months later, United sued the city, saying it "discriminates against white males."

City rules allow contractors to do all the work themselves. But if they subcontract, they have to meet goals for giving work to minority- and women-owned companies -- or at least show they tried. No exceptions, not even for minority-owned prime contractors such as United.

In the case that spurred United's lawsuit, the city had asked contractors to try to give 4% of a contract's value to black-owned businesses and 2% to woman-owned businesses. Vernetta Mitchell, director of the minority program, says United...