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Council rejects 2026 towing applications, extends current contracts while re-advertising
Summary
Egg Harbor City Council voted Jan. 8 to reject 2026 towing-service applications after a post-application ordinance change, authorize a limited month-to-month extension of current towing contracts during reprocurement, and direct advertisement for a new solicitation, a city attorney said.
Egg Harbor City Council on Jan. 8 approved a resolution rejecting the city’s 2026 towing-service applications after an ordinance change that altered the rules mid-process, and authorized a limited extension of the existing towing contracts while the city re-advertises the solicitation.
City Attorney Chris Orlando told the council that the ordinance was changed after applications were released and received, creating a “material change” to the application process that, under state law and municipal procurement practice, required rejecting the existing submissions and re-advertising. Orlando said the city may extend current contracts on a month-to-month or otherwise limited basis under the local public contracts law while it completes reprocurement.
Orlando added that applicants who previously paid application fees would be refunded if they choose not to reapply, and applicants who do reapply would not need to pay an additional fee for the new submission period.
The council moved, seconded and approved the resolution by roll call. Staff told the council they expect to complete the reprocurement process by the February meeting and that the month-to-month extensions are intended as a short-term bridge to maintain towing services during the transition.
The action addresses a narrow procurement defect rather than a change to operational towing policy: the city rejected the initial applications because the timing of the ordinance change altered the material terms of the procurement, per the attorney’s explanation. The council did not discuss changes to towing-service performance standards at the Jan. 8 session.
The resolution passed on a unanimous roll-call vote. The council authorized staff to advertise the revised towing solicitation and to administratively extend current contracts on a limited basis while vendor selection proceeds.
Next steps: staff plans to re-advertise the towing solicitation and return to the council with procurement results, tentatively at the February meeting.
