Procurement report: single-source spending down year-over-year, dashboard added

Dustin Freeman of Procurement told the Finance Committee on Oct. 21 that the city's quarterly single-source report for fiscal 2025 showed a decline in single-source purchase-order spending year-over-year and introduced a dashboard that visualizes single-source vendor and spend patterns.

Freeman told the committee the quarterly submission covered single-source transactions above $50,000; for the quarter he reported "a total of 18 single source purchase orders totaling a little over 2,200,000 and five purchase order agreements totaling a little over 1,800,000." Freeman also noted one unique agreement in the quarter that procurement considered distinct.

Committee members asked about year-over-year totals shown on the new dashboard. Councilmember W. Lane asked whether the dashboard figures showing about $28.2 million in single-source spending for 2024 and $18.8 million for 2025 represented totals for single-source purchase orders. Freeman confirmed the dashboard numbers reflected single-source purchase orders and some leases off master agreements. Council members noted the $10 million drop in single-source purchase-order dollars and attributed it to increased scrutiny.

The dashboard was developed with the city's technology solutions team to present a multi-quarter view of single-source spend by department and vendor; Freeman said the dataset now spans roughly two and a half years of quarterly reports and allows staff and the committee to see where single-source dollars are concentrated.

No committee action was taken on the report; members thanked procurement for the new analytic capability and encouraged staff to continue using the dashboard for quarterly updates.

Provenance: procurement presentation and committee Q&A on single-source purchases and dashboard are on the record in the Oct. 21 transcript.