CAPE COUNTY COMMISSION SAYS IT FOLLOWS BIDDING LAWS

JACKSON -- Cape Girardeau County officials say their first-class county hasn't followed in the footsteps of St. Louis County when it comes to bidding practices.

A Missouri appeals court ruled Tuesday that St. Louis County officials violated the state open-bidding law when they awarded a $1.7 million contract for a computer-aided dispatching system last year through a state agency.

A three-judge panel said the county council was without authority to enact the ordinance bypassing competitive bidding and allow the contract with the Regional Justice Information Service, a state agency.

Under a three-way deal, the state agency bought hardware and software from a Missoula, Mont., company. Then the state agency leased the same equipment to the county and the county, in turn, paid the same price that the state paid the company.

Lawyers for Information Technologies Inc. of suburban St. Louis argued that the arrangement was a sham to avoid bids.

Cape Girardeau County commissioners said they would have gone out for bids if they had been wanting to purchase such equipment.

Cape Girardeau County Presiding Commissioner Gerald Jones said the county prefers to buy from local companies when possible.

State law, he said, requires counties to take bids for purchases over $4,500. But Cape Girardeau County Commission goes further. On purchases under $4,500, the commission does a price comparison with written quotes from three businesses that could supply a particular product.

Commissioner Larry Bock said the practice promotes competition for goods and services.

Jones said, "You get a better price." The presiding commissioner said it also avoids public criticism. "You don't get accused of buying crap from your buddy," he said.

Cape Girardeau County government has a purchasing policy that requires any purchase of over $150 to be approved by the commission or one of the commissioners.

"The reason for that is to ensure competitive prices," said Jones.

County Auditor H. Weldon Macke said the county's practice is to buy locally, even if it costs slightly more than could be obtained through the state.

Cape County government, for example, could obtain its sheriff's department patrol cars from a state-designated dealer at a price set out in a bid to the state.

Macke said the state price typically is $200 to $300 lower than what is charged by a local dealership. But the county would have to pay the cost of traveling to a dealership in Kansas City or elsewhere in the state to pick up the vehicle.

"Driving there would be foolish," he said.