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Local owner says county buying is overlooking Fort Lavaca firms; urges local-bid consideration
Summary
A Fort Lavaca business owner told the Calhoun County Commissioners Court that local vendors are frequently bypassed for county purchases and urged the court to give local businesses an opportunity to quote work before taxpayer dollars leave the community.
A local business owner addressed the Calhoun County Commissioners Court during the public-comment period, urging the court to adopt a practice of soliciting local bids before purchases are made elsewhere. The speaker said she had been contacted by the sheriff’s office about a banner job and, after offering a local price, was selected — an example she said showed local firms are sometimes chosen but often not considered at all.
The speaker warned that when local businesses are routinely overlooked, "your tax base shrinks" and county payroll funding is threatened. She cited envelope purchases and other invoices from 2024, saying, "on 2,500 envelopes, they spent $480. My price would have been 294, today's price," and urged the court to look into procurement practices so county spending better supports Fort Lavaca and Calhoun County businesses. The court made no immediate policy change during the meeting; the comment was recorded during the public-participation item.
