Not long after a critical audit of the city's contracting equity program, Portland, Oregon's procurement chief, Lester Spitler, resigned from his job. Among the troubles noted in the audit was a set-aside component for prime contracts that the auditors claimed actually was "a barrier" to a more diverse mix of companies winning prime contracts.
A prominent city commission member blasted the city procurement department and its staff during an agency session on Oct. 22. "It is very disappointing to me that we continue to say one thing [but then] allow city resources to be gamed so that the same white major contractors resource all the benefit," said Commissioner Jo Ann Hardesty. Spitler, according to a local report, resigned about two weeks after the council session.