In other business, the choice between a better price and support of a local business was the issue when council voted 6-1 to accept the low bid from a Greenville-based company for copying machines.
Still up in the air is whether Orangeburg County or Greenville County sales tax would be applied to the lease - a question raised by Councilman Clyde Livingston, who opposed the low bid.
"I've got a problem sending money to Greenville," when the difference between the two lowest bids is relatively close, he said. The county received four bids.
The $35,283.24 low bid, submitted by Sharp Business Systems of Greenville, is for the lease of eight black-and-white copiers and one color copier.
The bid from the unidentified local business was about $2,000 more for the black-and-white copiers, but about $5,000 more on the color copier, county officials said. Even with the preference given to local vendors, the Greenville company won the bid.
Livingston made a motion to accept the low bid on the color model only. Instead, council amended Livingston's motion to also include the black-and-white models and then passed the amended motion accepting the entire low bid.
"I'm concerned about our putting out a bid and after the bid comes in, we separate the bid," Owens said, noting that isn't common practice. "I'm concerned about fairness. I want to make sure we don't have to backpedal."
Wimberly said that it would be nice, if a copier goes down, to have someone four or five blocks away, as opposed to having a repairman come from Greenville.
"But, we've done everything we can, Clyde, from the preference points," he said.
Councilman Heyward Livingston said that although he'd also rather see a local firm get the contract, he believes in the process and that council should "stick with the low bid."
http://www.thetandd.com/news/l...3b-001cc4c03286.html
Original Post