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Why does it take a special task force to tell Miami-Dade County how to buy things? Seriously. We have a $14.3 billion budget, a mayor, 13 commissioners, thousands of employees, and a procurement department. Yet we\u2019re still studying how to make procurement work. Enough already. Government has plenty of people whose job is to figure this stuff out. At some point, somebody has to stop talking about the problem and fix it.<\/p>\n
What Actually Happened on September 1<\/p>\n
The County Commission tackled a stack of procurement issues \u2014 bid protests, local and small-business preferences, conflicts of interest, related-party bidding, competitive-selection committees. Some items were changed, some were pulled back, others moved forward. Fine. That\u2019s part of the process. But now comes the part I actually care about: What changes for taxpayers and the businesses trying to work with the county? I don\u2019t want another study. I don\u2019t want another committee. I want results.<\/p>\n
Let\u2019s remember what procurement really is. It\u2019s our money. Every contract, every consultant, every construction project, every purchase \u2014 paid for with taxpayer dollars. We\u2019re talking about billions of dollars. I\u2019m not saying the county should always pick the lowest bidder; sometimes the lowest price isn\u2019t the best deal. But the county should get the best value, make sure qualified companies can compete, and make sure the work actually gets done. That\u2019s not complicated. That\u2019s common sense.<\/p>\n
A Fair Shot, Not a Free Pass<\/p>\n
And yes, I want Miami-Dade businesses to get a fair shot. Why wouldn\u2019t I? A local business employs local people, pays local taxes, and keeps money moving in our community. But let\u2019s be clear: \u201cbuy local\u201d doesn\u2019t mean handing someone a contract just because they\u2019re local. The taxpayer comes first. Give local and small businesses an opportunity, make the rules clear, and let them compete. If they can do the job and deliver the right value, give them the business.<\/p>\n
What I don\u2019t want is a procurement system so tangled that a small business owner takes one look and says, \u201cForget it \u2014 not worth my time.\u201d A big company can afford employees whose full-time job is chasing government contracts. A small business owner may be doing everything himself. The county needs to make this process understandable: What are you buying? What are the requirements? How do I qualify? What do I submit? When will I get an answer? And if I don\u2019t win, tell me why. A business can accept losing a fair competition. It shouldn\u2019t have to accept a process it can\u2019t even understand.<\/p>\n
Put Up or Shut Up: Measure the Results<\/p>\n
Now here\u2019s where I want the county to put up or shut up: measure the results. How long does it take to award a contract? How many companies compete? How many are local? How many are small businesses? How many protests get filed, and how long do they take to resolve? How many contracts run late? How many go over budget? Put those numbers where everybody can see them. Don\u2019t bury them in a report. Show us.<\/p>\n
If the county says procurement is faster \u2014 show us. If it says small businesses are getting more opportunities \u2014 show us. If it says taxpayers are getting better value \u2014 show us. Don\u2019t tell us. Show us. We\u2019ve heard enough promises from government. What we need now is accountability.<\/p>\n
And yes, protect the process. Conflicts of interest matter. Related-party bidding matters. Selection committees matter. The public needs to know contracts are being awarded fairly. But here\u2019s the other side of that coin: more rules don\u2019t automatically mean better government. If a rule protects taxpayers, keep it. If it protects the integrity of the process, keep it. If it just creates another delay, another form, another excuse for government to move slower than it should \u2014 fix it.<\/p>\n
Our Money, Our Standard<\/p>\n
We just approved a $14.3 billion budget. That\u2019s a lot of money. Our money. I don\u2019t want to hear next year that procurement is still too complicated. I don\u2019t want another task force. I don\u2019t want another report explaining why things are hard. I want the county to cut the unnecessary steps, make the process fair, give qualified businesses a real shot, and then measure whether it worked.<\/p>\n
Because at the end of the day, this isn\u2019t about paperwork. It\u2019s about our money. And when Miami-Dade County spends our money, it better spend it like it matters.<\/p>\n
Stop talking about procurement.<\/p>\n
Fix it.<\/p>\n
Questions or comments? Text or call Grant Miller, 305-323-8206.<\/p>\n
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