Springfield aldermen overwhelmingly rejected an ordinance to procure big ticket items through a national purchasing agreement.
Just one alderman out of ten voted to pass an ordinance to buy “personal supplies, property and services” through the National Joint Powers Alliance.
“It provides an opportunity for the city to save money when it’s going out for bid,” said Mayor Mike Houston. “If members of the city council did not want to use that instrument to save money, we will not use it.”
Houston says the contract would have bought larger, not locally available items for City Water Light and Power. The ordinance doesn’t specify that.
Houston says the overwhelming rejection is “100 percent” due to blowback from the NJPA procurement of the NAPA contract to manage parts for the city’s vehicle fleet. Aldermen then, and now, say local companies aren’t getting a fair chance to bid on contracts.