County holds public hearing on proposed purchasing-code changes in legislative bill 2026-006

The Caroline County Board of Commissioners opened a public hearing Aug. 18 for legislative bill 2026-006, a proposed amendment to Chapter 51 (Purchasing) of the county code that would modify thresholds and procurement procedures.

Kim Raider read the published notice and summarized the ordinance title and hearing logistics. The bill would ‘‘modify certain definitions to increase the purchasing authority of certain directors of county departments, to eliminate the requirement for a written contract for minor purchases of services, to eliminate the requirement for 3 or more sealed bids for major purchases, and to modify the procedure for debarment of vendors,’’ the notice said. The board announced the third reading, deliberation and potential enactment are scheduled for Sept. 15, 2026.

County staff and the official who helped draft the changes explained the practical reasons behind the edits. "We had 2 directors, department of IT and recreation and parks, whose purchasing authority was only $10,000. We're increasing that to $20,000 to make it in line with the other department directors," one staffer said. Another staff member who helped write the changes, identified in the meeting as Danny, explained: "So in practice…and what we've experienced here when issuing RFPs…we struggle as a county to get 3 qualified bids." Board members asked for clarification about sole-source and piggyback procedures; staff said those processes would still require justification and director-of-purchasing sign-off. No public commenters signed up to speak; the hearing was closed and the bill will return for third reading on Sept. 15.