Wefer for Morris County Freeholder

Contact: Dana Wefer's Campaign For Immediate Release
Phone: (973)610-0491
Email: DanaWefer@gmail.com

WEFER CALLS ON COUNTY TO SET UP AUDIT COMMITTEE FOR BID CONTRACTS

Morristown, October 16, 2006

- Dana Wefer, Democratic candidate for Morris County Freeholder, called on the Freeholders to institute a policy that would require an independent audit committee to review all contracts awarded that are over $20,000 higher than the lowest bidder. Wefer's proposal comes on the heels of news that the county has awarded a contract that will, over the life of the contract, cost the taxpayers about $1.3 million more than had the contract been awarded to the lowest bidder.
The contract at issue is to provide hot lunches to senior citizens at the county's nutrition sites. The county awarded the contract to the company that has been administering the program despite a bidder that came in $1.3 million dollars lower and seems wholly qualified to administer the program.

"This is a tremendous amount of money, and it will actually end up costing a great deal more if this ends up being litigated, which, unfortunately, as the county conceded, seems likely," Wefer said Monday. "We need to set up an infrastructure that will serve as a check on both the freeholders and the purchasing department. We cannot afford to blithely walk into what will probably end up being expensive litigation and we cannot afford to throw away $1.3 million dollars of Morris County taxpayer’s money," Wefer said. "Who knows how often this happens and we just don’t find out about it because the lowest bidder, who may be completely competent, walks away rather than threatening suit," Wefer pointed out.

Wefer’s proposal would require that the audit committee be composed of 3 citizens, 2 of county's attorneys and 2 freeholders. It would be used when the lowest bidder and what the purchasing department determines is the lowest responsible bidder varies by more than $20,000.

"Based on the information that is before us now, including the fact that the lowest bidder has an extensive history of catering high end events and an executive who has experience running food programs for seniors, it really seems that lowest bidder is fully qualified to run our nutrition centers," Wefer said. "This is really a perfect example of how the freeholders are staunch defenders of the status quo, even when the status quo can be improved upon and when the people of Morris County deserve better than the status quo," she said.

Wefer is making her second run for Freeholder after an impressive showing last year. She is the sole female candidate in a field of six candidates. Her two running mates are Mine Hill Mayor Rich Leary and Chatham Township Councilman Jack Hartford. Democrats are widely regarded as having an unprecedented opportunity to win seats on the currently all Republican Freeholder Board.

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