Just knowing that makes us wonder aloud what reasoning did the Trigg County Judge/Executive have in denying a Trigg County automobile dealership from having an opportunity to bid on a county vehicle.
In all fairness, the Judge/Executive wasn’t alone in his decision. Three other magistrates were against the move, also.
This is just one of the several reasons it was noted last week in this space about the unplanned and unannounced closing of the Trigg County Jail. The vote taken last Tuesday confirms the lack of any planning on the part of the people who were elected to serve in leadership roles.
Judge Executive Berlin Moore recommended to magistrates they approve the purchase of a new vehicle that will be used to transport inmates to the Christian County jail when the Trigg facility is closed on March 31. His reasoning for not accepting bids including the requirement the county would have to advertise for bids for two weeks and that would be past the March 31 deadline.
However, Michael Oliver, manager of Wildcat Chevrolet, said he could save the county money on a similar vehicle if allowed the chance to bid. Three magistrates – Kevin Stroud, Kelly P’Poole and Lacy Bush – all agreed to wait. Three others – Donnie Tyler, Tony Mitchell and Larry Lawrence – differed in their opinion.
It was then Moore cast the deciding vote to order the van from a Louisville dealership noting that time was of the essence.
As we look back through the issues of The Cadiz Record, we find nothing that indicates an automobile dealership in Louisville pays any taxes in Trigg County, contributes nothing to Trigg County Schools, makes no donations to Relay For Life, hasn’t purchased anything from the annual Rotary Auction, takes out advertising in the Senior annual.
In fact, we can’t find anything that indicates the firm does any business within the county limits at all.
Wildcat Chevrolet’s record is the complete opposite.
The excuse the county could not wait on the advertisement for bids and the vehicle purchase is a lame one. Although the county had voted to close the jail it could just as easily chosen to delay the closing for an additional 30 days in order to take bids on the vehicle.
And who knows, Wildcat may not have submitted the lowest bid. In the past, bids from dealerships in Murray, Hopkinsville and Princeton have all been considered.
In these difficult economic times, elected officials in Trigg County say they are searching for ways to save money, yet when the opportunity arrives, their actions don’t reflect their words.
