The Will County Executive Committee approved an amendment to the county purchasing code that creates an optional local preference for public‑works projects and clarifies responsible‑bidder rules and tie‑breaking procedures.

Sponsors said the change is intended to help local contractors win county projects when bids are extremely close — sometimes within a few dollars — and to keep taxpayer dollars in the local economy. The ordinance allows the county, at its discretion, to apply a local preference credit of up to 3 percent for bidders whose principal place of business is within a 50‑mile radius of the county and within Illinois; the ordinance also caps the maximum local‑preference credit at $100,000 for any single procurement. The amendment codifies existing responsible‑bidder criteria (including disqualification for prevailing‑wage violations) and adds a process for tie resolution where multiple bidders submit identical low offers.

Committee members asked how the 50‑mile radius would interact with Collar Counties and Cook County bidders and whether a local preference could increase project costs; staff said the 3% credit is optional per procurement and that a $100,000 maximum means the credit only affects very large projects. Public‑works members requested better access to bid opening data and a regular spreadsheet of bids; staff said bid openings are public, the county posts procurement records online and they would provide updated bid lists on request.

The committee adopted the ordinance on a recorded vote; members discussed possible adjustments to the radius but took no amendment at this meeting.