Change in legislation will expedite city purchasing
By BENJAMIN C. SHARP bensharp@journal-spectator.com

City officials hope new legislation will speed up the process of making future purchases.

The Wharton City Council on Monday approved an ordinance that will enable the city to follow the Local Texas Government Code instead of the City Charter when making purchases.

The state code was amended during the 80th Texas Legislature to allow for new guidelines on competitive bidding. Now, municipalities are required to seek bids only when the purchases are $50,000 or more. It was previously $25,000.

But the city of Wharton has up to now followed its own charter, which requires bidding for anything above $5,000. Mayor Bryce Kocian inferred on Monday such statutes are outdated, saying this section was drafted in the 1970s.

Seeking bids for such smaller purchases ties up city projects as the bidding process is rarely quick, officials said. They see it as an unnecessary procedure.

That will now change. Through Monday's resolution, the city can now have the state code "supersede" the charter.

"It would not require bidding unless the cost was $50,000 or greater," said Finance Director Joyce Vasut.

That doesn't mean lower priced purchases will now escape council oversight. Purchases over $5,000 must still come before council for approval.

Other purchasing guidelines adopted by the council on Monday include:

Purchases less than $3,000 require a purchase order or a check request with approval from the department head prior to payment.

Purchases between $3,000 and $5,000 require contacting at least two historically underutilized businesses, as required by state law, and a purchase order or check request approved by the department head.

Purchases between $5,000 and $25,000 require approval from City Council and a documented attempt to get three verbal price quotes, two of which are from historically underutilized businesses, as required by state law.

Purchases between $25,000 and $50,000 require approval from City Council and a documented attempt to get three written price quotes, two of which are from historically underutilized businesses, as required by state law.

Purchases greater than $50,000 require approval from the City Council and must follow state bidding laws.

The changes took immediate effect after receiving council approval.