WARREN County officials consider Internet auctions

Surplus county items, including a dozen automobiles, are being auctioned online.
By STEPHEN SIFF
VINDICATOR TRUMBULL STAFF
WARREN -- Trumbull County officials were meeting today to discuss the possibility of buying supplies through reverse auctions over the Internet.
The system could allow vendors to offer their best price for a contract to sell a particular item, such as trash can liners.
County officials could accept their offer or go with another supplier or the state purchasing program if that price is better, purchasing director Tony Carson said.
"If the price was more, I wouldn't accept it," Carson said.
He said the reverse auction meets state competitive bidding requirements.
Local company
Carson expected to meet today with employees of Lightgov, a Boardman company that specializes in offering Internet services to government. Company officers include former Mahoning County Commissioner David Engler and William Reali, an accountant and former chairman of the Western Reserve Port Authority board.
Lightgov waived its fees for the first year, Carson said. Fees for subsequent years have not been negotiated.
The county's first online auction with Lightgov is already taking place. Web surfers can bid on unwanted office equipment and a dozen used cruisers and cars seized by the sheriff's department.
Prices for a beat up, 10-year-old Crown Victoria start at $100.
The auction can be accessed from the Trumbull County home page, or from www.egovmarkets.com, a site maintained by Lightgov.
Carson said the county chose to go with Lightgov, rather than a more established company such as GovDeals.com, because of the local connection.
"When the choice is between a company located somewhere down south and a company that is in the next county, we are going to go with the supplier that is local," Carson said.
This spring, Lightgov conducted what it said was the first online reverse auction by a government in Ohio when Lake County fished for prices on copy paper and paper towels.
Trumbull County went out to bid for many office products for the first time in 2001. Until last year, janitorial supply companies were never required to submit formal bids.
Investigation
The county began using the state purchasing program for janitorial supplies last year after prosecutors began investigating high prices and excessive purchases by the county maintenance department.
One supplier subsequently pleaded guilty to bribery and complicity to theft in office.
Tony Delmont, who has been fired as county maintenance department director, pleaded innocent to bribery, theft in office and money laundering as part of the buying scheme.