Bexar County commissioners voted Oct. 28 to reject all proposals submitted for request for proposals (RFP) No. 1105 for food services at the Adult Detention Center and directed county purchasing staff to resolicit.

County Manager David Smith told the court the initial solicitation included language expressing a county preference not to use inmate labor. Smith said that omission could materially increase costs; in his rough estimate, costs without inmate labor could be “millions” higher than current service levels. Purchasing staff recommended rejecting the current proposals and reissuing an RFP that required bidders to submit pricing both with and without inmate labor so the court could compare options.

Commissioner Clay Flores said using inmate labor can provide training and work experience for incarcerated people and urged that the new solicitation include both alternate price structures so the county can choose the best value. Commissioner Moody and other members agreed the resolicitation would produce clearer, comparable bids.

The court approved rejecting all proposals and directed staff to rechristen and resolicit the RFP with both pricing options.