Jackson County Veteran-Owned Business Contract Goal

Section 1056 of the Jackson County Code (Ordinance 4695, effective November 24, 2014) says that on any county contract for which the Compliance Review Officer has set a goal for minority business enterprises or women business enterprises, there shall also be a voluntary goal, equal to the lower of the two, for participation by businesses majority-owned by one or more veterans of the U.S. armed forces. "Veteran" is as defined in Mo. Rev. Stat. 36.020(18), and that definition is narrow: a citizen of Missouri separated under honorable conditions after at least six consecutive months of active duty, unless released early for a service-connected disability or a reduction in force, or a Reserve or Guard member with at least six years of satisfactory service or a presidential call to active duty in a campaign or expedition. A veteran who lives in Kansas or another state does not count toward the goal. The Compliance Review Office monitors the goal using the procedures of Chapter 6 of the Code, which govern the minority and women business programme. What it is not. The goal is voluntary and applies only on contracts that already carry an MBE or WBE goal. It is not a set-aside or a price preference; the State's veteran-owned business preference is a separate rule (see the Missouri entry).