BY MARK J. CRAWFORD
At the July 1 budget workshop, Bradford County Commissioners and staff engaged in a discussion about the county’s purchasing policy and the role of local business preference in awarding contracts.
The conversation was prompted by concerns that the current local preference policy, which gives an advantage to local contractors in the bidding process, may be limiting competition and discouraging outside firms from submitting bids.
“If people put a lot of work into putting proposals together … and then to just allow somebody to say, ‘Well, I can match that,’ then, you know, why spend any time?” said Commissioner Chris Dougherty of the potential for quality bidders to be deterred.
Commissioners acknowledged the importance of supporting local businesses but also recognized the need for competitive pricing and quality work.
“Sometimes to our benefit, if it were more open to others, just not just our local, we would get a better deal, and sometimes quality,” Commissioner Carolyn Spooner said.
The board discussed possible solutions, including requiring outside contractors to spend a percentage of their contract locally or to hire local subcontractors. Ultimately, the consensus was to amend the local preference policy rather than eliminate it. The proposed change would allow local contractors to receive preference only if their bid is within a certain percentage — suggested at 5% — of the lowest bid.
“You could amend your policy to essentially say if you’re within 2% or 5% then your work is going to go to the local contractor,” attorney Rich Komando said, summarizing the proposed amendment. This approach aims to balance the desire to support local businesses with the need to ensure fair competition and value for taxpayers.
The board agreed to move forward with amending the policy, with the 5% threshold as a working figure. The final policy language will be developed and brought back for formal approval at a future meeting.
