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The city of Muskogee changed the way it solicits bids from companies. The city now sends bid notices by certified mail to Muskogee auto dealers and plans to put notices on its Web site, the city’s purchasing agent says.
The city changed its procedure after city council members and local businesses asked why the city bought a Ford F150 pickup from Bob Hurley Ford of Tulsa without fully notifying local dealers.
City Purchasing Agent Shirley Simpson said general bid notices for the truck were advertised in the Muskogee Phoenix and sent by regular mail to dealers on the city bid list. The notice ran May 11.
Sending the bid notice by certified mail should alleviate any future problems of local businesses not receiving the bid.
The city is going above the law with this move. State statutes only require that a municipality advertise for bids in the legal notice section of a local publication, City Manager Greg Buckley said.
“We want the best product for the best price,” Buckley said. “We also want to encourage our local vendors.”
We agree. We believe the city should seek local bids first — and have a preference to buy locally — but they shouldn’t be required to buy locally. If a non-local bid would save taxpayers significant money, by all means, the city should go with the lowest bid.
