GRANITE FALLS — The city of Granite Falls did not follow state competitive bid laws when it purchased four police cars and a dump truck in 2006, the state Auditor’s Office announced.
The city bought the vehicles for a total of $166,742, according to the auditor’s report. The city was required to advertise for competitive bids and to document that it complied with state bid laws. The city did neither, according to the report released this week.
Granite Falls officials believed they were complying with the law, Mayor Lyle Romack said.
“We thought we had already done what we needed to do, so it was kind of a surprise to us,” he said.
The audit carries no penalties, other than a scolding from the state office to follow the rules in the future.
The police cars, Chief Tony Domish said, were purchased from FCI Police Vehicles of North Bend through a state contract, he said.
“The state puts it out to bid and we make our purchase on the state bid,” Domish said. “We pay state bid price.”
Alan Bateman of FCI said many other jurisdictions do the same. “All municipalities can buy off that state contract,” Bateman said.
Officials with the Auditor’s Office could not be reached for comment.
Regarding the dump truck, Romack said the city shopped around until it finally found a truck it could afford. Officials believed they had fulfilled the bid process because they did not go to a single source but went to some lengths to price the trucks, he said.
“There was a little confusion there,” he said.
The city complied with state law in the other areas checked by the auditor, according to the report. Officials were helpful during the audit, the report said.
Romack said the city intends to make sure it follows the law in the future.
“We’re going to comply and make the corrections we need to make and do it according to the state regulations,” the mayor said.
Reporter Bill Sheets: 425-339-3439 or sheets@heraldnet.com.
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