County leaders should support local business
It’s easy to wonder what was going through the minds of our county government officials when they decided to accept an out-of-town bid for sheriff’s department vehicles over a local bid submitted by McMinnville Ford.
The bid that was accepted by the county’s Purchasing Committee came from a Tullahoma car dealer and was for $76 more for one sheriff’s department patrol car. Since the county is buying five patrol cars in all, the total discrepancy comes to $380.
Granted, taxpayer dollars are involved and finding the best overall price is always an underlying concern. In these lean economic times, every dollar counts when it’s important to balance the county budget without a tax increase.
That said, there’s no substitute for good ol’ Southern hospitality and that all starts with neighbor helping neighbor. This is something most Warren County residents do with great pride, whether it’s taking up a collection at church or donating a toy during the holiday season.
That’s why it’s so puzzling why Purchasing Committee members would turn their back on a local business in favor of one that’s out of town. There is no requirement to accept the absolute lowest bid. The primary need is to use good sense, which is not what happened.
County Executive Kenneth Rogers says it was a simple mistake and something he would do differently if he made the same decision today. That may be the case, but Rogers is joined on the Purchasing Committee by Linda Hillis, Carl Hulett and Herb Wright. It’s disappointing not one of those local leaders had the loyalty to speak up and say we need to keep our money here in Warren County.
When looking at a purchase approaching $100,000 for five patrol cars, or $95,275 to be exact, a difference of $380 is of little consequence. It probably wouldn’t even cover time and gas money if local officials have to make more than a few trips to Tullahoma to finalize the sale or get vehicle service.
Perhaps McMinnville Ford owner Terry Kidd had the most insightful comment when he alluded to a recent trip Rogers made to Canada with director of economic development Don Rigsby. The purpose of the trip was to encourage Canadian industries to bring jobs to Warren County. Kidd figures it cost far more to send Rogers and Rigsby to Canada than the $380 difference between patrol car bids.
County officials may talk a mean game about helping our local businesses prosper and grow, but then they spend their money elsewhere. We may need to recruit new industry and attract new retail outlets, but we can’t forget to take care of the business owners who are operating in this community each and every day. They are our friends and neighbors, and they deserve our support.
We would like to believe such thinking is second nature to the people who run our government. Apparently it’s not. They would rather spend local money helping Tullahoma grow.