Cook County Board Commissioners approved an ordinance last week that will overhaul the county’s procurement process as well as raise all board-approval contracts to $150,000.
The ordinance–which was unanimously approved– re-organizes and modernizes the county’s purchasing process with outside vendors, while also using taxpayers’ dollars more efficiently, Cook County Board President Toni Preckwinkle said at a press conference held before the Sept. 7 board meeting.
One of many improvements laid out in the new ordinance is a streamlined bid process, Preckwinkle said.
“Going forward, board approval will take place when it is most meaningful—at the time of the actual selection of the vendor and execution of the contract,” Preckwinkle said in remarks before the meeting.
Prior to the ordinance, board approval was required for a series of inefficient steps such as permission to advertise, bid openings and step-by-step approval of the contracting process, Preckwinkle said.
Eliminating those board approvals will reduce the time to acquire goods and services by six to eight weeks, and vendors will be paid more quickly–which is significant for smaller businesses that have not done business with Cook County in the past because of delayed payments, she said.
In addition to a new bid process, the ordinance will raise all board-approval contracts to $150,000.
Previously, all contracts for supplies, materials and equipment that cost $100,000 or higher, and all managerial and professional service contracts priced at $25,000 or more required bid approval, Preckwinkle said.
Cook County Inspector General Richard Blanchard approved of the ordinance in remarks before the meeting. Blanchard said the procurement-process overhaul will help to prevent fraud, and to combat the “24-9” contract problem–contracts at $24,900 just below the $25,000 threshold where no board approval is necessary.
Last year, an aide to former Cook County Board President Todd Stroger was accused of signing off on “24-9″contracts for personally connected firms.
Under the new measure, contractors will not receive payment until documentation is provided to the county that confirms all the requirements in the legal agreement were met
Commissioner Larry Suffredin (13th) voted in favor of the ordinance, but not without voicing some concerns first about the board’s lack of oversight.
“This is a significant ordinance we are passing. It does change the way county contracts will be done,” Suffredin said. “…all of us need to watch carefully to look at the reports and the data that we get and make sure this is working.”
Commissioner Earlean Collins (1st) said that the Office of the Purchasing Agent —which oversees the procurement process–is currently understaffed.
“If this ordinance is going to be effective and do all the things that are necessary to improve efficiency… we need more staff,” Collins said.
“That’s number one.”
Commissioner Peter Silvestri (9th) also voted for the ordinance.
“It will certainly bring the procurement process into the 21st century,” he said.
“That’s always a good thing.”
The ordinance will take effect Oct. 7.
