Title
Resolution to Order Election and to Determine Ballot Question for Amendment to Section 14.2 of the City Charter Related to the $25,000 Dollar Limit (7 Votes Required)
Staff
Reviewed by: Matthew P. Thomas, Assistant City Attorney
Body
Whereas, Section 14.1 of the City Charter, entitled "Authority of Council," subsection b provides:
All contracts, except as otherwise provided in this charter or by ordinance of the Council in accordance with the provisions of Section 14.2 of this charter, shall be approved by the Council and shall be signed on behalf of the City by the Mayor and the Clerk;
Whereas, Section 14.2 of the City Charter, entitled "Purchase and Sale of Personal Property," provides:
The Council shall by ordinance establish the procedures for contracts for all services and for the purchase and sale of personal property under the direction of the City Administrator. The ordinance shall provide the dollar limit within which purchases of personal property may be made without the necessity of securing competitive bids, and the dollar limit within which purchases may be made and contracts for services entered into without the necessity of council approval. Such dollar limits shall, in no case, exceed twenty-five thousand dollars ($25,000.00). No purchase shall be made or service contract entered into unless a sufficient appropriation is available;
Whereas, The $25,000 dollar-limit exception has not been altered to account for inflation or otherwise since 1995, even though the cumulative rate of inflation since that time is over 75%;
Whereas, Staff estimates that changing the dollar-limit to $75,000 would result in Council seeing 48% fewer items, where such items account for merely 4% of the total value of all contracts that the City enters into in a year;
Whereas, Staff further estimates that such change would result in the City realizing a savings of nearly 625 fewer staff hours expended on processing resolutions for contract approvals; and
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