The City Commission of Fort Pierce on Oct. 6 approved a $63,347 expenditure to Lighting by Design (West Palm Beach) for installing holiday lighting at Marina Square after a sharp exchange over procurement procedures and an expired contract.

The vote came after commissioners aired concerns about how the project was awarded and completed without going through an open solicitation after a contract expired in November 2024. Commissioner (last name) Johnson voted no; Commissioners Broderick and Mayor Linda Hudson voted yes.

Why it matters: Commissioners said the matter exposed a breakdown in purchasing controls at a time the city is operating with slim reserves. They asked city management to tighten RFP and approval procedures to prevent similar oversights.

City Manager Chess told the commission he discovered an invoice from the vendor in June 2025 and that the contract on file had expired in November 2024. He said the work was completed on Sept. 15, 2025, and that, because the expenditure exceeded the manager’s $50,000 sign-off authority, it had to come to the commission. Chess said there were “three missteps” in the procurement process: the expired contract, the lack of an RFP when the contract expired, and the fact that work proceeded after staff determined the item needed commission approval.

Commissioner Johnson, who had pulled the item from the consent agenda, said his review uncovered “great concerns” about the process, the use of authority, and whether other holiday-lighting projects around the city had been handled the same way. “We’re going to have to tighten some things up around here fiscally,” he said, adding that he was “disappointed” and would discuss the issue further with the city manager and public-works staff.

Commissioner Broderick said the cost was about 15% higher than last year and called the matter a “failure of the process and procedures that are in place.” Broderick asked that the city manager prioritize changes to purchasing procedures. Mayor Hudson said the holiday lighting “brings a lot of people to downtown Fort Pierce” and urged that the city retain its seasonal attractions while fixing the procurement gaps.

Outcome and next steps: The motion to approve the payment passed (2–1). Commissioners directed the city manager and purchasing staff to review RFP and contract oversight procedures and to report back on specific fixes. Staff noted the city manager’s $50,000 signature authority was exceeded and that management intercepted the item once they identified the problem.

Details and context: The staff memo presented at the meeting described the vendor as Lighting by Design and the scope as installation of holiday lighting at Marina Square. The city manager’s account established a timeline: vendor invoice received in June 2025; contract on file had expired November 2024; work performed Sept. 15, 2025; item placed on commission agenda after the manager determined the expenditure exceeded his authority.

Commissioners asked purchasing and public-works leadership to ensure future decorations or similar recurring services follow updated procurement practices, including timely RFPs or sole-source justifications and clearer sign-off procedures so that work is not contracted or completed before the commission can review required expenditures.

Ending: The commission approved the expenditure with a directive to tighten procurement oversight. Commissioner Johnson said he would follow up with the public-works director and the city manager to ensure corrective steps are taken.