Commissioners question $167,000 for copy paper
Facing a budget crunch, county officials are reviewing the spending of every dime. A 13.5 percent spending increase to make copies seemed unreasonable, Commissioner Charles Martin said.
Commissioners question $167,000 for copy paper
Bucks County officials, faced with a budget crunch that has forced the lay off of six switchboard operators and probably additional staff, are asking why the government needs to spend $167,000 for copy paper.
"That's significantly more than we've spent in past years for using paper in copy machines," said Charles Martin, vice chairman of the county Board of Commissioners, at Wednesday's pubic board meeting in Middletown Township.
"We're using more paper. We should be using less, not more," Martin said. "People are walking around using iPads."
The issue came up as a Purchasing Department request for an annual $167,317.40 contract with Office Basics in Boothwyn. That amount, a projection based on recent usage, is a 13.5 percent increase from the $147,391 budgeted last year.
The contracts run from Oct. 1 through Sept. 30. In the just-completed year, $142,021 was spent, and the balance, $5,370, remained in the general fund, Purchasing Director Maureen McIlvaine said after the meeting.
Martin wanted to know who was using so much copy paper. McIlvaine responded that she could only say which departments were getting paper.
"We can't tell how much paper is being used at each copier?" Martin asked. "There's a counter on each copier.
"I have to put in a code to make a copy," the veteran commissioner added.
"I use your code all the time," Commissioner Chairman Rob Loughery quipped, getting a laugh from county department heads, staffers and residents in the audience.
"No wonder my number is so high," Martin responded with a chuckle.
McIlvaine said she would check the usage, and Martin, Loughery, and Commissioner Diane Ellis-Marseglia approved the contract.
Sounds like a bunch of morons. Keep laughing while wasting taxpayer money.— Dunsmore- How could you possibly assume that this is a waste of money? — tonyS
- Sorry but this is a Purchasing Dept just going throught he motions. No one is putting any thought or strategy behind the Procurement. We are living in a "paperless" society (or at least transitioning there). Ms. McIlvaine, your usage should be going down not up. Your dept should be viewed as a strategic profit center not a support function!— ctycouncilfrauds
- Just another typical buracratic government expense.....And to think that this goes on in every town, every city, every state and every federal office.....It is just the tip of the iceberg folks and that is why big government at every level is a waste and why our taxes keep going up.....Vote all incumbents out...both parties....they are all part of the waste problem.....and we have not even discussed thier give away programs...Vote them all out...— nuggett
- Obama the leader in wasting more tax payer $$ is their guide. Solyndra!! Bailouts, stimulus! God Save Us from Democrat/liberal mindsets. — coniljw
- Go green, baby. Go green. What happened to the paperless office?— Wilhelm Von Humboldt
- That's 70,000 sheets of paper everyday! How is that possible? Here's why taxpayers are getting raped by these local governments: they didn't spend all of last year's budget, yet are asking for a 13.5% INCREASE this year. Why?— warrentheape
- At $30/case I come up with about 28 million sheets/year, or about 112,000 a day. Hey, but whose counting? (apparently nobody!).
Its great that they question the expense, but then approve it anyway.— mjr6550 - I hope Dwight Shrute got his commission.— Seegs
- I just discovered that Staples online sells 20 lb. copy paper marketed by Quill under the name Dunder Mifflin! $49.99/case
But I absolutely do not get The Office. Loathe that show; it's stupid without being funny.— Tatt2 - Glad those nimrod commissioners can crack jokes and laugh about wasted resources. Get out of the last century. Start watching the use of paper closely. Copying and printing of documents can be greatly reduced if an effort is made to do so. See how much paper is going home...— Getinline
- $167,000 for paper.....what was the commission for dwight schrute? jim halpert collect on some of that too?— theeducator
- I would suggest that if they're looking for great quality/service at a much more reasonable price, the Bucks County folks ought to look into getting a proposal from Emerald Office Supplies (and no, I'm in no way affiliated with Emerald).— Truth B. Told
- This has nothing to do with price--it has to do with the budget. — Delco Law
- It is nice that they tried to keep the business local.. and not with a huge national chain... like Office Max or Staples.— insilkcity
