Quinte West is evaluating some potential adjustments to its procurement policy.
During Wednesday’s meeting of council, councillors discussed a report on potential changes to the municipal procurement policy. The policy is set to be updated for Q3 2026.
While council had previously considered making it a policy to buy local, the staff report found that a policy that prioritized local vendors over others could cause legal issues, and that similar policies have been rejected by other municipalities due to legal challenges.
The report did outline some aspects of the current policy that benefit local companies already. Staff are encouraged to invite local companies to bid on contracts, and can prioritize bids that come with reduced mileage or shipping costs, benefiting companies based locally. There’s also a chance for vendors to list “value added” services where they can include options like free warranties where applicable to improve their bid.
The staff report recommended remaining with the current procurement policy. While the report included an option with an explicit focus on buying from local companies, the report said this was not recommended.
The report led to an extended discussion in the council chambers, where council debated putting greater emphasis on the value added section of the bidding process.
Ultimately the decision was deferred to a future meeting of council, with municipal staff creating a new proposal, and clarifying what can be counted as “value added” on a bid.
