Brandon Dillon Wants to Spend Taxpayers Money Wisely

by: philgoblue

Fri Mar 12, 2010 at 08:13:44 AM EST

Kent County Sending $43,000 in Taxpayer Dollars to Wayne County Business
Commissioner Brandon Dillon's Local Vendor Preference Policy would have kept money in Kent County

(Grand Rapids)- At today's Kent County Commission meeting, Commissioner Brandon Dillon (D-Grand Rapids) spoke out against a recent decision by the Kent County Purchasing Department to award 2 contracts for pick up trucks to a Wayne County auto dealership. The two contracts, totaling just under $42,976 were awarded to Red Holman Buick, located in Westland, MI, even though two local dealers (Tony Betten Ford and Fox Ford) submitted bids that came in at a total of $43, 302, a difference of just $226 or less than .005% over the out of county bid.

"This is outrageous ," said Dillon. "What we are doing is using locally generated taxpayer dollars to subsidize economic activity on the other side of the state."

According to information provided last year by the Kent County Purchasing Department, over 60% of county contracts are currently awarded to businesses outside of Kent County . Commissioner Dillon recently introduced a resolution, currently pending before the Finance Committee, to give local vendors a chance to match a low bid when their original bid is withing 5% of that low bid.

"Unfortunately, Kent County businesses and taxpayers are losing out under our current purchasing policy," said Dillon. "The good news is, we have a chance to correct this and keep this money right here at home. Hopefully this recent example will move my proposal along as soon as possible"

Money that stays in our community is re-spent in our community, and so on, and so on. It's basic economic money multiplier. The sales rep at Fox Ford gets a sales commission and buys a bike for his daughter at the new bike store on Division, that business owner takes his family out to dinner at Brann's, the waitress at the resturant pays for cereal for her kids at Meijer (you get the point).  But this won't happen, because of dinosaur-accounting. Instead, that money is over in Detroit.

Brandon's press release for his idea of a Local First Policy in Kent County is on the flip....

Brandon Dillon Renews Call for Local First Policy in Kent County
Commissioner will offer resolution to encourage success of Kent County businesses.

( Grand Rapids )- Kent County Commissioner Brandon Dillon will introduce a resolution to give businesses located and paying taxes in Kent County a preference of 5% in the bidding for county contracts. Last year, Democratic Commissioners Keith Courtade, Pete Hickey and Robert Synk asked for a subcommittee to study the issue but were denied by the Board Chairman Roger Morgan (R-Rockford). Dillon hopes that new Board leadership, along with the increased urgency of keeping and creating jobs in Kent County will get this issue on the agenda immediately.

"It's time we stopped paying lip service to the idea of keeping jobs in Kent County ," said Dillon. "Allowing local businesses the opportunity to procure county contracts when the price differential between them and other vendors is small will keep dollars in our local economy, help create jobs and encourage other businesses to relocate to Kent County ."

According to information provided by the Purchasing Department and former Chair Morgan, over 60% of county contracts are currently awarded to businesses outside of Kent County . Commissioner Dillon is concerned about the outsourcing of county tax dollars, but also sees an opportunity to reinvest in our workforce and our small businesses.

"With the county spending of millions of dollars on outside contracts each year,  insuring that even a fraction of these contracts are awarded to local businesses would have beneficial effect on local businesses and job creation," said Dillon. "I think this is an issue that should generate bi-partisan agreement and I am hopeful the business community will get on board and help me get this moving as soon as possible."