Sole Source Procurement for Consultants, Contractors

It's our money!

CITY MANAGER FOR LIFE WILLIAM B. HARRISS
Photo credit: J.D. Pleasant

MAYOR JOSEPH LEROY BOLES, JR.
Photo credit: Greg Travous (and Hans Holbein the Younger)

St. Augustine hired its Ex-Mayor to write a PR propaganda newsletter, apparently with no competitive bidding.

Our governments have also hired the Mayor of Williamsburg, Virginia to be a consultant, again, apparently, with no competitive bidding.

Don't get me wrong. Mayor Zeidler is a smart lady (who supports the St. Augustine National Historical Park, National Seashore and National Scenic Coastal Highway). George Gardner's a good person, but sole source procurement must be justified. Otherwise government becomes a game of cronyism (artfully praciced by the otherwise inartful JOSEPH LEROY BOLES, JR.) In the words of corrupt Tennessee Governor RAY BLANTON: "If you can't help your friends, who can you help."

There's quite enough bogus sole source procurement around here in St. Johns County, starting with the $2 million luxury Bell Jet Ranger helicopter the mosquito control commission voted under suzerainty of ex-County Attorney DANIEL BOSANKO's wife, ex-AMCD Chair BARBARA BOSANKO.

Citizen activists got that contract killed (and a full refund) thanks to the perspicacity of Commissioners John Sundemann and Jeanne Moeller, among others, and honest advice from AMCD lawyer Doug Wyckoff, who negotiated the full refund of the $81,000 deposit).

Our City must adopt ordinances to end government procurement as we know it and to make the entire process transparent, as the City of Orlando does -- and as President Obama and Vice President Biden are doing for stimulus package funds.

In the words of the late Everett McKinley Dirksen, Senate Republican Majority Leader, "a billion dollars here, a billion dollars there, and pretty soon you're talking about real money."

$14,500 for George Gardner. $20,000 for Mayor Zeidler.

Meanwhile, our immature, rude Commissioners (and ex-Commissioners like GARDNER and BURK) lie about dissenters and cast aspersions (and asparagus) at anyone who questions or seeks to hold accountable City Manager for LIfe WILLIAM B. HARRISS.