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Treasurer defends standalone printing/data RFP as committee weighs countywide contracting
Summary
Beaufort County’s treasurer argued a department‑specific RFP is needed because of heavy data and mailing volumes; procurement staff urged a countywide solicitation for economy of scale but the committee agreed the treasurer may proceed and other departments can later opt in.
The Beaufort County Finance committee heard a sustained discussion Sept. 15 about whether the county should issue a single, countywide RFP for printing, mailing and data services or allow elected officials to run department‑specific solicitations.
Procurement staff told the committee an RFP is in process to replace an expiring print and data contract and recommended it include the assessor, auditor and treasurer so the county could secure economies of scale. “This is a significant RFP. It does affect more than one elected official,” procurement said, and urged consideration of a consolidated solicitation to benefit taxpayers.
The assessor, Ebony, supported consolidation for large mailings tied to reassessments — “we typically send out 130,000 to 138,000 assessment notices” — but the treasurer pushed back that her office’s specialized data services and heavy volume require tailored vendor capabilities. The treasurer noted county tax‑bill functions and online services generate roughly 20,000–25,000 website hits per week and that the current vendor’s data services help drive investment returns. “We are the volume,” she said, adding that changes to the RFP that reduced the treasurer’s required data functionality could jeopardize revenue operations.
Procurement and other members acknowledged tradeoffs. Procurement staff said only a handful of vendors can provide the full suite of printing and sophisticated data services sought, and suggested writing a solicitation that offers a ‘menu’ of services departments can adopt. Committee members said they did not want to impede the treasurer from issuing a solicitation if her office needs specialized services; they also noted departments can justify alternative contracts to purchasing if necessary.
No formal vote was taken. The committee signaled no objection to the treasurer pursuing an RFP for the treasurer’s office and agreed administration can pursue a countywide contract or a second solicitation later if departments choose to consolidate.
