Tampa moves to race‑neutral small-business program amid state and federal legal pressure

Tampa City Council voted to advance amendments to the city's Equal Business Opportunity (EBO) program that remove race- and gender-based language and refocus the initiative on supporting small local businesses.

Carl Brody of the legal department explained that recent federal and state guidance and new Florida statutes created legal risks for programs that provide benefits based on protected characteristics. Brody told the council the changes are intended to protect the city from challenges that could jeopardize grants or contracts and to avoid exposure to penalties; he said the recommended approach is to make the program race-neutral.

Bertha Mitchell and the reconstituted advisory group outlined a revised program that would keep the operational focus on small, local firms while changing program language and renaming the initiative to Strategic Business Development. "We amend our ordinance to make it race neutral," Brody said during the presentation, characterizing the edits as a defensive step to preserve local support for small-business development.

Councilmembers expressed frustration that the legal environment forced the revision, but many acknowledged the pragmatic need to protect federal and state funding streams. The ordinance was passed on first reading with one dissenting vote (Councilwoman Hurtak cast the lone recorded no); second reading and adoption were scheduled for June 4, 2026.

Staff said the renamed program will continue outreach, certification assistance, and contracting support for small businesses, and will also pursue strategies to ensure broad participation across Tampa's diverse communities through race-neutral means.