TRUMBULL COUNTY Officials seek bids for janitorial supplies pact

WARREN -- Trumbull County can save between $8,000 and $10,000 a year by ditching the state purchasing program and picking its own supplier of toilet paper, paper towels and soap, purchasing director Tony Carson Jr. told commissioners.
But first the commissioners have to get a selection of valid bids.
On Wednesday, the panel rejected eight bids for the janitorial supplies contract, worth about $30,000 a year, because seven of the companies that submitted bids did it wrong, Carson said.
The companies either gave prices on the wrong size product or neglected to include a sample, he said.
The prices were good, however, he said.
Commissioners also approved advertising the contract and soliciting bids a second time.
"There is a lot of savings out there by doing this," Carson said.
The only company that complied with the county's bidding requirements this time around was W.W. Grainger of Canton, which now sells to the county through the state purchasing program.
The county switched to the state purchasing program last year at the request of Prosecutor Dennis Watkins, who was concerned about escalating prices and sloppy bookkeeping at the maintenance department.
A county grand jury has met at least twice to hear about possible criminal charges.
Until recently, the maintenance department bought supplies for the county buildings and jail. That responsibility has been switched to the purchasing department, headed by Carson.