Warren County rejects lone bid for Fire Academy storage expansion; officials to negotiate

The Warren County Board of County Commissioners voted on May 14 to reject the only bid submitted for the Warren County Fire Academy storage building expansion, citing a price that substantially exceeded the county’s cost estimates and budget appropriation. The board adopted Resolution 267-25 rejecting the bid received for WC2450A and authorized county staff to negotiate with qualified contractors for the project.

According to the resolution, De Sapio Construction, Inc. was the sole bidder; the county previously rejected a bid from that firm on Aug. 14, 2024 because it exceeded estimates. The county readvertised the work and again received one bid on April 24, 2025 that was judged to substantially exceed the appropriation and cost estimates. The resolution cites N.J.S.A. 40A:11-13.2 as the statutory authority allowing the county to reject bids when the lowest bid substantially exceeds the contracting unit’s appropriation or cost estimates.

The board directed the purchasing agent, director of public works and county administrator to enter negotiations with qualified contractors, consistent with the Local Public Contracts Law, and to return to the board for ratification and approval of any negotiated agreement. The motion was made by Commissioner James Kern III, seconded by Commissioner Lori Ciesla and recorded as approved by the board.

Why it matters: rejecting the bid leaves the project without a contractor for now and signals that the project will need either redesigned specifications, additional funding or negotiated pricing before construction can proceed.