City isn’t hiring enough minority contractors: Peebles

Developer calls for probe of de Blasio Administration's practices

From left: Don Peebles and Bill de Blasio
From left: Don Peebles and Bill de Blasio

Developer and possible mayoral candidate Don Peebles asked Public Advocate Letitia James to look into the de Blasio Administration’s contracting practices, writing in a letter sent Thursday that the city has failed to hire enough firms owned by women and minorities.

Peebles cited Local Law 1, which requires city agencies and contractors to make a “good faith effort” to hire such firms, the New York Post reported. He also referred to city statistics indicating that firms run by women and minorities only received 4.6 percent of city business in Fiscal Year 2015, the New York Post reported.

A spokesperson for the city pushed back, saying the administration had increased spending to women- and minority-owned firms by 57 percent in the fiscal year.

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Peebles has blasted Mayor Bill de Blasio, a former ally, on a number of occasions in the last month. Peebles has also indicated he’s considering challenging the mayor when he runs for re-election in 2017.

The developer was recently sued a former associate, Dan Hoeg, who accuses Peebles of reneging on a promise to make Hoeg an equity partner in a number of New York City Economic Development Corp. projects the pair planned to bid on, including a trio of Civic Center properties. [NYP]Ariel Stulberg