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Finance committee approves budget additions for procurement software, council asks for ‘Cleveland First’ RFP data
Summary
The committee reviewed the Division of Purchases and Supplies budget including a new $50,000 line for OpenGov RFP software and staffing changes. Council members pressed administration for data on how many bids go to Cleveland-based firms and asked staff to explore a local‑preference policy.
The City of Cleveland finance committee reviewed proposed budget changes for the Division of Purchases and Supplies on Page 157 of the budget book, including a new $50,000 allocation for OpenGov software to manage requests for proposals and vendor self‑service functions, and personnel changes to increase buyer capacity. Commissioner Tiffany White Johnson is listed as the division head in the budget book.
The administration said the software purchase and added positions aim to modernize procurement, run a vendor self‑service portal and improve processing of public improvement contracts. The director said the staffing plan includes a financial systems coordinator to run vendor self‑service, two buyer positions (one to support vendor self‑service and one to focus on public improvement contracts), and the elimination of an unneeded project director.
Council members questioned current under‑spending in the division and asked for a plan to increase timely procurement. Councilman Charles Life said the division is “critical” but historically under‑spends its budget and pressed staff for a plan to use the additional funds productively. The administration responded that modernizing systems and added staff should increase throughput and move the division closer to budgeted expenditure levels.
Councilman Mike Palenci urged the city to prioritize Cleveland‑based businesses in procurement, calling for a “Cleveland First” preference in scoring for RFPs or an ordinance if needed. The director said geographic location can be incorporated in scoring on a case‑by‑case basis but is not a standardized practice. Council members requested that staff explore options, report back on legal constraints and, if necessary, draft legislation.
Council members also asked for transparency on bid winners. The budget book notes 252 competitive bids over $50,000 and 2,637 competitive bids under $50,000; the director said the budget book does not break those counts down by vendor location or ethnicity but staff will request reports from the purchasing division and publish procurement information on an intranet procurement site when available.
The committee did not take a formal vote on policy changes during the hearing. Council members asked staff to produce follow‑up reports showing: (1) current bid winners by vendor location (Cleveland, Cuyahoga County, outside county); (2) participation by minority‑, women‑ and veteran‑owned firms; and (3) proposed approaches to implement any local‑preference scoring in RFPs.
