Chamber Urges Government To Buy Locally

Good, But Much Bigger Steps Are Needed

The message of the Chamber Chat written by Chamber Chairman Chet Mann was a plea to government entities in the county to to spend tax money locally to help the local economy. There is no complaint here, and this is happening now. With the sky rocketing cost of fuel being added to almost every product, it is certainly possible that some local vendors may now be able to compete with usually lower price, higher volume sellers else where. The concept clearly needs to be total cost not just lowest bid.

A larger challenge, however, for local business is not being addressed in a comprehensive way. Perhaps too much is expected of BRAC as our answer to the future; it will not be. What we need, however, is more focus on how Lee County competes in a global economy, especially the impact of the Internet. The economy is in the process of a dramatic restructuring, and our governmental policies, business processes and educational system are lagging far behind. It calls for a level of innovation and leadership that we are not likely to get from our current commissioners, but can be a job requirement in our search for a superintendent of schools.

Included in the column was a letter written to city and county managers, as well as our interim school superintendent, encouraging them to spend tax money locally. Of course, as the letter noted, in most cases these agencies are required to buy on the low bid model.

Mann should be fairly pleased with several purchases approved by the commissioners at their last meeting. A contract of up to $50,000 for scrap tire recycling and disposal was approved with a Cameron company. Now that is not quite in Lee County, but it is just over the border and some of the three dollars that Mann says recycles locally ought to reach our county.

The purchasing of new cars usually presents a challenge because local dealers simply cannot meet the volume prices offered by state contracts for those local agencies, like the sheriff's office, that can purchase through the state purchasing. But this time the sheriff's department purchased a new vehicle that was not on state contract for undercover drug enforcement. A local car dealer beat out dealers in Raleigh and Fayetteville, and the $22,270 purchase went to a local dealer. Also, the county fire marshal purchased a used 2005 Ford F-250 from a local dealer.

Not every commissioners meeting will have such good news for the local economy and, of course, not all purchases go through the commissioners. So the challenge is to look at the decisions we make with an eye to getting ready for a future that is really already here.