Milwaukee County inches toward bidding preference

Editorial cartoon

Published: May 4, 2012
Tags: bid preference, cartoon, D. Wilson Consulting Group, Hispanic Chamber of Commerce of Wisconsin, Jose Perez, Maria Monreal-Cameron, minority, minority contractors, minority preference, preference

Group sues Milwaukee over minority-preference ordinance (UPDATE)

Published: May 1, 2012
Tags: bid preference, D. Wilson Consulting Group, Hispanic Chamber of Commerce of Wisconsin, Jose Perez, Maria Monreal-Cameron, minority, minority contractors, minority preference, Paul Benson, preference

The Hispanic Chamber of Commerce of Wisconsin is suing Milwaukee to kill an ordinance that sets race-based preferences and goals for city construction contracts.

Milwaukee preps for minority contracting preference

Published: January 10, 2011
Tags: American Indian Chamber of Commerce, Ashanti Hamilton, Craig Anderson, D. Wilson Consulting Group, DBE, Marvin Pratt, minority contracts, Ossie Kendrix, preference, Rhonda Kelsey, Wanta, Wisconsin Underground Contractors Association, WUCA

By Marie Rohde Milwaukee is cautiously building toward a law that would direct more public contract money toward women- and minority-owned companies. The caution stems from a 1989 U.S. Supreme Court ruling that established lawmakers must prove past or present discrimination before creating a race-based program. Furthermore, according to the ruling, those programs must be [...]

Illinois preference law rattles contractors along the border

Published: July 12, 2010
Tags: Camosy Construction, Illinois, law, preference, Public Construction, Rasch Construction & Engineering, residency requirement, unemployment, Wisconsin

By Tony Anderson Special to The Daily Reporter An Illinois law requiring the use of state residents on public projects has Wisconsin contractors gauging the potential damage to their bottom lines. The amended law requires contractors use a work force of at least 90 percent Illinois residents when unemployment reaches 5 percent for two months [...]

Milwaukee bid preference cuts city contractor

Published: June 17, 2010
Tags: American Sewer Services, appeal, bid, Biondich, Department of Public Works, Korban, Maly, Milwaukee, MJ Construction, preference, repeal, United Sewer & Water

By Sean Ryan M.J. Construction Inc. fell $17 short of winning its seventh Milwaukee contract under the city‘s local preference law. The law requires Milwaukee give a 5 percent bid preference to city-based companies, and a sewer project bid by Milwaukee-based M.J. exceeded that amount by $17. That means the city will accept a $143,550 [...]

Judge upholds local bid preference (UPDATE)

Published: April 26, 2010
Tags: American Sewer Services, bid, Biondich, Clean Water Fund, DNR, Joseph Olson, lawsuit, local preference, Michael Best & Friedrich, Milwaukee, Milwaukee County Circuit Court, Pocan, preference, United Sewer and Water
Comments: 2

By Sean Ryan Milwaukee’s local bidder preference Monday withstood legal challenges filed by sewer contractors that lost projects because of the law. Milwaukee County Circuit Court Judge William Pocan ruled the city of Milwaukee can apply the preference to sewer and water projects that receive low-interest loans from the state’s Clean Water Fund. Contractors that [...]

Women-, minority-owned preference good in theory, bad in execution

Published: April 24, 2010
Tags: blog, Grothman, Hot Topics, preference, thompson
Comments: 2

By Chris Thompson

editor

State Sen. Glenn Grothman has taken to an extreme his opposition to preferences for women- and minority-owned companies. But he still presents a relevant argument.

Letter to the editor: One bad idea after another

Published: March 12, 2010
Tags: City of Milwaukee, Milwaukee County, preference

To the editor: Financial incentives funded by the taxpayer for where a business is located? Financial incentives funded by the taxpayer for the geographical area in which employees live? Neither is the right answer. Incentivizing commercial enterprise to perform unnatural acts through hiring by geographic boundaries or domiciling their business in the city of Milwaukee [...]

Contractor warns county of the price of preference

Published: March 8, 2010
Tags: bid, City of Milwaukee, J.P. Cullen & Sons, J.P. Cullen & Sons Inc., Johnny Thomas, Lipscomb, local hiring, Milwaukee County, preference, public works, Rocole, Tim Russell
Comments: 1

By Sean Ryan A contractor is warning Milwaukee County that paperwork, oversight and program management are unavoidable costs of a local hiring preference for projects. “It might not cost bids, but it will cost taxpayers,” said Larry Rocole, vice president of J.P. Cullen & Sons Inc.’s Brookfield office, which is in Waukesha County. Milwaukee County [...]