Osinloye Proposal to Tilt RFPs to Favor New Rochelle Groups is a Constitutional Minefield

NEW ROCHELLE, NY (May 4, 2025) — I’m sounding the alarm on a New Rochelle council member’s reckless proposal to rig the city’s contract bidding process, a plan I see as a constitutional trainwreck that could fleece taxpayers by sidelining the best-value bidders.

At the April 15 city council meeting, Councilmember Shane Osinloye conflated a push for prioritizing Minority- and Women-Owned Business Enterprises (MWBEs) and veterans with vaguely defined businesses from so-called “marginalized” and “legacy communities”, “lifelong New Rochelle residents”, and “locally owned businesses” in the city’s Request for Proposal (RFP) process.

“We’ve been talking about the RFP process,” Osinloye said. “Could we just see how we can give higher priority to locally owned businesses?”