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County auditor advises withholding payment for body‑transport invoices that bypassed competitive bid process
Summary
Auditor and county attorneys told the court that invoices for body‑transport services did not follow competitive bidding rules for services expected to exceed $50,000; commissioners voted to follow the auditor's advice and not pay the vouchers while counsel sends notice to providers and the affected JPs.
The court reviewed disputes over which vendors Justices of the Peace may use to transport decedents. County purchasing and the auditor noted statutory purchasing requirements: when service spend exceeds $50,000 the county must use competitive bid procedures. Several JPs had used an existing independent transport provider rather than the contracted county vendor, producing invoices that county purchasing said were not procured in compliance with statute.
The auditor said the county could not lawfully honor checks for purchases that bypassed the purchasing agent or competitive bid process. County counsel agreed the invoices raised compliance concerns and advised sending formal notice: the county would not pay future invoices where the purchase had not followed statutory purchasing procedures and would copy the affected judges. The court, following the auditor’s recommendation, voted to not approve the contested vouchers and to notify the vendors and the Justices of the Peace of the county’s position; commissioners discussed options for resolving outstanding invoices and warned JPs that future noncompliant purchases might not be honored by the auditor and treasurer.
