Most Guilford County employees work in Guilford County-owned buildings, however, since June of 2022, some employees of the county’s MWBE Department have worked out of the Nussbaum Center for Entrepreneurship at 1451 S. Elm-Eugene St.
Now, a deal between the county and the Nussbaum Center – one expected to be cemented this week – will put the entire department at the Nussbaum Center for at least three years.
The county will pay the Nussbaum Center about $140,000 over the next three years for the privilege.
Not that many years ago, the county’s MWBE “department” wasn’t even a department – it was one assistant director in the county’s Purchasing Department who did her best to see that the county maximized its use of minority and women-owned businesses.
However, in recent years, that department has grown to seven employees and has become one of the most powerful departments in the county. Chairman of the Board of Commissioners Skip Alston, who ultimately calls all the shots in Guilford County government, is a big backer of the MWBE department and has seen to it that it has plenty of staff and plenty of pull.
One year ago, the Guilford County Board of Commissioners, out of the blue, made the stunning move of adding five new county positions to the department, which nearly tripled the size of the department overnight.
Paperwork for the Nussbaum deal suggests the MWBE Department isn’t going to stop growing. One reason given for the three-year lease at the Nussbaum Center is that it, “Allows space for growth of the MWBE team without any additional cost to upfit space.”
That’s worrisome to some who argue that the county is already pumping too much time and money into the effort. In the 2020-2021 fiscal year budget, the efforts to use more minority and women owned businesses were still listed as a line under “County Administration” with a cost of about $170,000. The 2021-2022 adopted county budget called for taxpayers to spend $385,000 for a full-fledged Guilford County MWBE Department. In the fiscal 2023-2024 Guilford County budget, the cost of the county’s MWBE efforts came to a total of $1,566,976.
Another reason for the new deal with the center is that it frees up county-owned space at 201 S. Greene St. as well as the associated parking spots.
At the Nussbaum Center, clients and employees will have easy access to free parking.
Advocates of the move also argue that it will be good for county businesses to have a “one-stop shop” for the county’s MWBE resources. They also point out that over 70 percent of the tenants currently at the Nussbaum Center are MWBEs.
The deal will also mean there will be plenty of room to host and co-host meetings and trainings.
The monthly rent will be right at $4,000 to lease 3,200 square feet at the per square foot price of $14.77. The rent deal includes utilities and routine maintenance.
MWBE is discrimination. So, not only is the Guilford County government practicing discrimination, but Guilford County taxpayers are paying for the discrimination. Can you say term limits for Skip Alston?
$140K wasted tax dollars for another DEI racist program. Continued spoon feeding.
Won’t do any business with any company there. Whole idea is racist and a waste of Christian taxpayers money
I’m guessing Greene St. downtown was too White for the mwbe staff
Dear Mr Yost, I sent you a comment but I am not sure if it went thru… back to you. Please let me know if you did not receive it. Thank you, Jeff Fricke
i don’t see it posted here yet, so it must not have come through. Try sending it again please. Thanks.
That $1,566,976 does not include all the added expenses of do-overs using sub-par contractors or the over $7 million that messing up the Samet deal alone cost in overruns, nevermind staff costs, legal fees, and the lost time on the project. MWBE is, and always has been a racist practice under the guise of underhanded reparations for what, we may never know. Johnny Rebel used to have a song called “Lookin’ For A Handout.” Looks like the Nussbaum Center is getting a whole hand-out department under their roof. E.H. Hennis is no doubt rolling in his grave at the thought of any of this.
Just Saying, l’m sure if Mr. Hennis were still alive, he would drop by with a “shoebox” for a house warming gift.
Just “who” owns and operates the Nussbaum center? Let me guess. . . .could it be anyone registered as a Republican? 🙂
What does this have to do with MWBE? Regardless of where MWBE is housed, it is still government sanctioned discrimination paid for my taxpayers.
Just wondering, what level of diversity exists in that MWBE staff? Since Guilford County is about 55% white, can we safely assume that 4 of the 7 MWBE members are white? Or does Skippy’s math work a little differently?
Oh Ken. That’s a good one. So you know the staff is 100% black. I’m still laughing. Skip’s doings his part for reparations it’s some more of his as Samet told him “RACIST “ Bullsh$$. Enjoy the ride Skip. KARMA is coming
Yet another hydra govt bureau.