School Board member Rita Weaver (l) and Chairman Karin Bailey at the Sept. 24 meeting. Photo by Dick Myers
Leonardtown, MD — St. Mary’s County Board of Education member Rita Weaver continues to question the school system’s procurement policies. At the board’s Sept. 24 meeting the rest of the members logged in on the issue by defending the procurement office and their policies.
Weaver is especially concerned about the school system piggybacking onto contracts issued by other school systems. Some of those contracts are several years old. Weaver contends that if the St. Mary’s system put more items out on bid they may wind up saving money.
Because of Weaver’s previously stated concerns, a briefing by Procurement Coordinator Victoria Mayle was held at the regular board meeting. In the presentation Mayle gave a rundown of what her three-person office does, including issuing almost 3,000 purchase orders a year.
The Division of Supporting Services also is involved in purchases, doing procurement for capital construction, renovation, architectural and engineering and land improvements. The Purchasing Office handles items such as equipment, materials, good and services.
Mayle had said at a previous meeting that her staff was too small to put every item out to bid. But she insisted that using the piggyback method is also cost effective. She assured the board during her presentation that each of the contracts being piggybacked on had gone through the required bid process by another county, including advertising on EMaryland Marketplace, which is used by 200 government organizations with 30,000 registered businesses receiving bid solicitations.
School Board Chairman Karin Bailey came to Mayle’s defense. She said the questioning of the procurement process made it seem like the board wasn’t being fiscally conservative, which she strongly denied.
“I don’t think we can ask a staff of three people to put out everything,” Bailey said, noting that using piggybacking saved time for the staff.
Weaver countered that she understood why some contracts may not be bid, but she said she couldn’t understand why products such as tile and bread, two recently awarded piggyback contracts, couldn’t be bid locally.
School board member Cathy Allen said that Maryland was lucky in having only 24 school systems. “We have an opportunity of learning best practices from our peers,” she said. As to using other county bid awards, she said, “They go through the same procedures we follow.” She said St. Mary’s is thus able to benefit from the work done by other counties.
Weaver insisted that using older contracts for piggyback could lead to missed opportunities. She said new products and new companies could have come along since then that could provide better and lower bids.
Allen responded, “I don’t see instances where we are paying $600 for a toilet seat,” adding, “I am confident of the work that is being done.”
Board member Mary Washington also stood behind Mayle and her office. We have a small staff. I think you are doing an excellent job.”
So for now it appears Weaver has lost her battle against the system with the majority of the board members supporting it as it is.
Contact Dick Myers at dick.myers@thebaynet.com