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Curry County Commission approves Kevin Roberts Arena expansion contract despite objections over local preference
Summary
The commission awarded a $541,300 contract for the Kevin Roberts Arena expansion to a New Mexico bidder after applying an 8% resident business preference; Vice Chairman Leatherwood objected and moved to approve under protest, saying the county is paying more because of the preference adjustment.
The Curry County Commission on Oct. 21 approved a contract to expand the Kevin Roberts Arena after a contentious discussion over procurement preferences that raised objections from at least one commissioner.
Chairman Brad Bender said the county received five bids for the project to add roughly a 100‑by‑120–150‑foot addition. County staff recommended awarding the contract to Nick Grego and Sons, the second‑lowest bidder, at $541,300 because New Mexico procurement rules grant an 8% resident business preference when comparing local bidders’ offers.
The preference changed the price comparison: although the lowest raw bid was $499,836, the preference adjustment required the county to award the contract to the local bidder under state procurement rules, resulting in the $541,300 award (plus gross receipts tax). County procurement counsel explained the statutory preference and said the commission could attempt to negotiate with the selected contractor if the project exceeded the budget by less than 10 percent.
Vice Chairman Leatherwood objected sharply to the outcome. “I’m gonna call BS on this,” he said during debate, arguing the county could obtain the work more cheaply and that rebidding should be considered. Commissioner Martin urged exploring rebidding or negotiation to ensure competitiveness. Manager Pyle and county counsel said the low bidder lacked the required resident business certificate, making the preference mandatory under state law; Pyle also said the project still falls under the commission’s budgeted amount for the fairgrounds expansion.
Despite the objections and an explicit protest motion from Vice Chairman Leatherwood to approve under protest, the motion to award the contract passed by voice vote.
The contract sets a completion deadline of May 1, 2026, with liquidated damages specified in the contract. County staff also noted a pending regional recreation grant that could offset costs if awarded.
What happens next: the county will finalize the contract with the selected firm and proceed with construction scheduling; commissioners who objected said they may revisit procurement processes or request additional review of preference impacts.
