$250,0000 Proposal's Stiff Opposition

A proposal on Tuesday night's August 24, 2021 city council agenda that would allow the city of Monroe to award city projects $250,000 and under without opening the manner to a formal bidding process was met with fierce opposition in city council chambers. The opposition came from minority business owners who feel they have been left out of being awarded city contracts. Many believe that if the proposal is brought up again and passed, it would create a more significant disadvantage. As it stands now, bids must be advertised for projects over $30,000, and council approval would still be needed for the winning bids to be awarded. The new proposed resolution sponsored by District 1 Councilman Doug Harvey would change or establish new procedures in purchasing and bidding projects done by the city. The issue for minority business owners is that even at $30,000, there were issues, and now raising the ceiling to $250,000 will be more challenging than before. The city countered that the process will be quicker and will "save taxpayer's dollars". According to city attorney Angie Sturdivant, project postings are supposed to be placed on the city's website, and each project's listing duration is determined on a case-by-case basis. In the case of an emergency, the city would seek three businesses to meet that emergency and hire the lowest quote to save time in a critical situation. How would minority businesses know if they are not placed on a pre-approved list of businesses for emergencies in case of emergencies? The question then becomes, would the first three names be called without knowing that further calls might result in the city getting an even lower bid? Emergency items still must be approved by the city council, and hopefully, concerned council members will ask those questions before granting their approval. The minority business owners and the public deserve answers to those questions.