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Board introduces ordinance to suspend vehicle local‑preference through 2028 to ease procurement delays
Summary
The Tulare County Board introduced an ordinance to suspend the county's 5% local vendor preference for motor vehicle purchases through Dec. 30, 2028, citing supply-chain delays and the need to comply with vehicle transition mandates; adoption was set for April 15, 2025, and the board voted to proceed unanimously.
Tulare County supervisors introduced an ordinance to suspend the motor vehicle portion of the county’s local‑vendor preference policy through Dec. 30, 2028, a move staff said is intended to increase vendor competition and reduce procurement delays for essential vehicles.
Maria Lopez, interim purchasing manager for the General Services Agency, described ongoing supply‑chain disruptions and manufacturing delays affecting county vehicle procurement. Lopez said the board previously approved a one‑year suspension effective Jan. 23, 2024 through Dec. 30, 2024. Extending the suspension, Lopez said, will “broaden vendor participation and mitigate procurement delays, reduce the risk of order cancellations and long wait times, allow time for further data collection on pricing trends and vendor participation, and ultimately support the county's compliance with state mandated fleet transition requirements, including the electric vehicle adoption.”
The ordinance would temporarily suspend the motor vehicle portion of Tulare County ordinance code section 1‑03‑1301 (local preference — 5% preference) for vehicle purchases. Staff told the board they will continue to monitor market conditions and return with findings before the suspension expires. The board set adoption of the ordinance for the April 15 meeting.
Supervisors asked about balancing local business support with performance and delivery concerns. Supervisor McCarrie and others stressed a desire to support local vendors when feasible, and staff said procurement evaluations continue to consider vendor responsiveness, delivery record and value in addition to price.
Supervisor McCarrie moved to introduce the ordinance and set adoption for April 15, 2025; Supervisor Valera seconded. The motion passed unanimously.
The ordinance introduction authorizes staff to suspend the 5% local preference for motor vehicles through Dec. 30, 2028, while retaining other procurement preferences and continuing standard evaluation criteria to assess vendor performance and delivery. Staff will report back with market data prior to the suspension’s expiration.
