Monterey County releases annual contracts and procurement report, highlights $494.9M in FY2024 purchases and local vendor engagement

Monterey County contracts and purchasing staff presented the county’s annual procurement report to the Board of Supervisors on May 20, summarizing purchases, vendor registration trends, countywide service agreements and improvements to transparency and vendor outreach.

Lede: Contracts and Purchasing reported $494.9 million in goods and services procured for fiscal year 2024, including $146.4 million spent locally within Monterey County. The office said it will move to a new Oracle ERP that should improve real‑time reporting and vendor self‑registration.

Why it matters: The report is intended to help board members, small businesses and the public understand how county purchasing dollars flow into local economies and support contracting strategies that favor local, minority and small businesses.

Key figures and takeaways Deborah Wilson, the county’s contracts and purchasing officer, told the board FY2024 procurement totaled $494,905,900, with 70% (about $350.9 million) spent in California and $146.4 million spent in Monterey County. She said vendors may claim multiple business types (for example, a vendor can be both a local business and a women‑owned business), and reported the vendor self‑registration tallies: 71 certified green vendors, 6 disabled‑veteran enterprises, 288 local businesses, 74 minority‑owned enterprises, 32 nonprofits, 300 small businesses and 58 women‑owned enterprises.

Procurement card (P‑card) spending for FY2024 totaled about $10.3 million, Wilson said, with airline and hotel travel among the largest categories; partial 2025 P‑card spend (July through December) totaled $4.4 million in the report.

Countywide service agreements and outreach Wilson and Angelica Rayles summarized over 70 countywide service agreements worth roughly $44.9 million in contracted funds; staff reported that more than 51% of the countywide service agreement dollars are awarded to local vendors. County staff highlighted outreach steps: a vendor expo with about 150 attendees, partnerships with procurement technical assistance organizations (PTAC/Apex), and new solicitations advertised in additional local papers to broaden reach. Wilson said the county had added two electrician vendors to help diversify service providers.

Surplus and savings Jaime (surplus program manager) reported a 2024 cost savings through the surplus reutilization program of $59,059.51 and said the county’s surplus sales generate additional cost avoidance. Contracts and Purchasing also reported that the unit has answered a rising number of California Public Records Act requests and has improved response times through an online portal.

Training and professional engagement Wilson highlighted the county’s procurement academy: 87 graduates in 2024 and 28 so far for 2025. County counsel and the risk manager provide regular academy modules, she said. The county hosted regional procurement chapter meetings and will host the Monterey Bay chapter of the California Association of Public Procurement Officials in May; staff encouraged departments to send participants.

Next steps for transparency Wilson said the move to an Oracle ERP should enable real‑time vendor profiles and procurement reporting; she asked the board for continued support for implementation. Supervisor comments focused on local spending trends; supervisors asked for year‑over‑year bar charts showing the County’s share of procurement dollars retained locally to track progress. Several board members praised the outreach to small and rural vendors.

Sources and attribution: Deborah Wilson, Contracts and Purchasing Officer (Monterey County Contracts and Purchasing), and Jaime (surplus program) presentations to the Board of Supervisors on May 20, 2025.