DeKalb County finance committee reviews procurement process, LSBE outreach and budget amendment timeline

The DeKalb County Finance Audit and Budget Committee on July 10 heard a procurement overview from Director Butler and discussed plans to strengthen small‑business outreach and a tight calendar for budget amendment requests ahead of a special‑call meeting scheduled for the 17th.

The presentation, delivered by Director Butler, outlined the county’s end‑to‑end procurement workflow — planning, solicitation, evaluation, award and contract management — and emphasized centralized tools and training intended to improve transparency and reduce payment delays. "We aim to be collaborative and to provide centralized procurement services to all of our county stakeholders," Butler said.

The committee, chaired by Commissioner Ted Terry and joined by Commissioners Michelle Long Spears and Shakira Johnson, was briefed on three procurement platforms and programs now in use or recently adopted. Since February 2025, DeKalb County has posted solicitations through OpenGov, Butler said, and departments submit centralized procurement requests through the PRSS (purchasing request submittal solution). The county is also using CV360 for contract invoice and lifecycle tracking; Butler described its automations, including three‑way match logic that links purchase orders, receipts and vendor invoices so payments can be issued automatically when records align.

Butler said the county is scheduling formal training on CV360 and procurement procedures with multiple virtual options. The sessions are two hours each and have drawn substantial registration: Butler reported about 100 signups for one date and roughly 40 for others. She said the trainings include an open Q&A and are intended to give the staff who handle requisitions and contract processing a shared baseline of practices.

The committee spent significant time on the local small business enterprise (LSBE) program. Butler stated that the LSBE program has been brought back inside Purchasing and Contracting after previously being outsourced. The department has one LSBE manager, three compliance officers and administrative specialists and is assessing whether staffing levels are sufficient to meet program goals, including outreach and site visits. "We are assessing the department and the program to see if staffing levels are appropriate," Butler said.

Butler also described a recent supplier academy run with Decide DeKalb to prepare small vendors to apply for LSBE certification. About 80 businesses applied and 64 were accepted into the month‑long program; nine progressed to certification readiness, Butler said. She characterized the academy as a success in building vendor capacity while noting certification requirements — such as a two‑year business history and valid business license — that disqualified many applicants from immediate certification.

Commissioners asked for additional follow‑up. Commissioner Michelle Long Spears proposed a part‑two committee discussion after staff complete the county training so commissioners can hear direct feedback from their teams. Butler and commissioners agreed to return to the topic in August.

On budget timing, the committee discussed a short schedule to gather proposed amendment requests for a special call meeting. Commissioner Terry asked commissioners to submit requests by close of business on the 14th so the administration and commissioners could review potential reallocations before a pre‑meeting discussion on the 16th and the special call on the 17th. Zach, county budget staff, told the committee that commissioners can bring critical items forward and the administration will assess whether reallocatable funds are available or whether items should be deferred to the 2026 budget.

Two formal, procedural votes were recorded during the meeting. The committee approved minutes from a June 16 special call and the June 24 regular meeting; the motion carried with unanimous support from the three committee members present. The committee then adjourned by voice vote.

Next steps identified at the meeting include wide staff participation in the scheduled CV360/procurement trainings, a commissioner‑level follow‑up meeting after staff complete training, an October supplier academy to expand LSBE capacity, and the budget amendment timeline that asks commissioners to submit requests by the 14th for discussion on the 16th and final consideration at the special call on the 17th.

The presentation and training materials will be shared with commissioner offices and posted on the Purchasing and Contracting webpage once the county finishes a planned website update, Butler said.