Politics & Government
City Of San Antonio: Local Street Repair Contractor Preference Is One Step Closer To Council Consideration
"This is about giving local businesses a leg-up by making a minor change to the bidding process in the city charter," said Cabello Havrda.
October 13, 2021
CONTACT: Victor Landa
Victor.landa@sanantonio.gov
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SAN ANTONIO (October 13, 2021) – A potential City Ordinance that would create a preference for local street maintenance and repair companies has been advanced to the Audit and Accountability Committee by the Council's Governance Committee.
Councilwoman Melissa Cabello Havrda brought the Local Preference Awards for Low Bid Street Improvement Contracts Council Consideration Request (CCR) to the committee in March of this year.
“This is about giving local businesses a leg-up by making a minor change to the bidding process in the city charter,” said Cabello Havrda. “It also works to solve the recurring problem of poor workmanship from some out-of-town contractors.”
The City Charter requires that contracts be awarded to the lowest responsible bidder or to the bidder who provides goods or services at the best value for the City.
“The low-bid requirement has the unintended consequence of poor performance, which in the long run increases costs,” said the Councilwoman. “If you’ve done a poor job, or consistently gone over budget, you shouldn’t be able to get more City Contracts.”
This ordinance emphasizes the belief that the City is best served by local contractors who will strengthen the City’s economy and provide the best quality of work. By including a locally-owned factor to the weighted criteria for contract awards, the City will create a condition for local business growth.
The CCR will go before the Council’s Audit and Accountability Committee for review in the coming weeks.
This press release was produced by the City of San Antonio. The views expressed here are the author’s own.