Council committee backs draft adding county-business preference for procurement exemptions

The Government Operations & Fiscal Policy Committee voted unanimously to recommend favorable action on CB60-2024 with proposed draft 2 and a technical insertion clarifying how procurement exemptions should treat county business preferences.

Staff explained the bill would allow products and services funded by grants to be subject to open competition in Prince George's County's procurement process, but that the number of affected procurements is currently unknown. Councilmember Legay, who moved the favorable recommendation, said negotiations with administration and colleagues produced a compromise to clarify how exemptions interact with county-preference policies.

Mr. Maddox read the revised purpose and title language that will appear in draft 2 and the specific preference language the committee added: "All purchases should consider preference for county based small business, county based business, county based minority business enterprise, and county located businesses." Miss Skinner of the County Executive's Office said the language aligns with current procurement practice and asked for a small technical insertion — "pursuant to this section" — to tie the provision to the statute.

The committee approved a motion to move the bill favorably with the proposed draft 2 language and the insertion; the motion was seconded and carried on a 4-0 roll call. The Office of Budget and Policy Analysis said it had not yet reviewed the new draft and had no additional comment at the meeting.