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Board told appellate ruling may bar 'piggyback' contracts; superintendent urges legislative fix
Summary
A staff member told the board a judge in the 3rd Appellate Department ruled that piggybacking on other agencies' contracts may be contrary to state law, a change that could raise procurement costs; the superintendent said the legislature should consider a fix.
At a new‑business discussion, staff warned the board that a court ruling in the 3rd Appellate Department has restricted the district's long‑standing practice of using other agencies' contracts to obtain better pricing.
“A judge in the 3rd appellate department, which is, the Southern tier of New York in Binghamton area, has ruled that such contracts are contrary to state law, and we've been advised that you shouldn't be using them,” a staff member said, explaining that the district historically used piggyback contracts to secure lower prices through larger buying groups. The staff member said that ending the practice could increase procurement costs and cause delays because the district will need to negotiate its own contracts.
The superintendent said he is hopeful the legislature will adopt a statutory fix to allow districts to procure goods and services using cooperative contracts that achieve better pricing for taxpayers.
