Purchasing recommends contract specialist, certification pay increases and step adjustments to manage rising procurement complexity

Jay Latch, purchasing director, presented a series of operational and staffing requests to support procurement, contract management and vendor oversight across county departments.

Staffing and reclassification requests: Latch asked for a step increase for a Buyer I staff member with 30-plus years— prior experience and the reclassification of two Buyer I positions to Buyer II, citing current duties and the workload of large construction and federally funded procurements. He provided resumes and job descriptions as documentation of roles performed.

Contract specialist proposal: Latch proposed a full-time contract specialist to centralize contract drafting, review, insurance and bond tracking, renewals, vendor performance monitoring and compliance reviews for software, construction and recurring maintenance contracts. He said many recurring renewals and maintenance agreements do not always return to purchasing for re-review and that a dedicated contract specialist would proactively notify departments 60 to 90 days before expirations and improve compliance.

Certification stipends: Latch recommended updating monthly certification pay to better reflect national standards: increasing the CPPB stipend and raising the CPPO stipend, arguing that the county's current stop-pay structure undervalues the certifications and continuing-education requirements.

Operational points: Purchasing staff manage P-card administration, Amazon and cooperative purchasing accounts, bid issuance, construction bid support and transitioning to Bonfire e-bidding software. Latch highlighted the volume metrics for FY-24 (purchase orders issued, invoices processed and cooperative purchases) and said expanding staff and formal contract-tracking would make procurement more efficient and reduce legal and audit risk.

Commissioners asked how existing staff would shift duties if a contract specialist were added; Latch said the new hire would meet with every department to inventory contracts, input them into Bonfire and establish renewal-notification workflows. The court did not vote on the request; the line items will be considered with the FY-26 budget.