Citizens in Ohio rely on elected officials to act on their behalf when creating and enforcing municipal contracts. This creates a lot of pressure for you and your cohorts to think wisely about which relationships to pursue.
Knowing which practices will elevate the meaningfulness of a contract can help you improve the sustainability and benefit of sought-after relationships.
Bids and negotiation
You may receive bids from several entities wanting to contract with your municipality. You have the time and resources to carefully assess each of these bids in an attempt to secure the best possible outcome. When comparing bids, your attention should focus on voter opinion to ensure the final decision reflects the desires of the municipality’s residents.
Citizens rely on you and other leaders to negotiate an advantageous contract. The thought, time and resources that go toward bidding and negotiating can directly influence how meaningful a contract is. Having an agreement that meets all expectations will provide much more benefit than one quickly agreed upon that lacks merit and relevance.
Ethics and compliance
Using unethical practices to secure municipal contracts can have serious legal repercussions. For example, conflicts of interest, deception and poor use of taxpayer money to create new agreements can compromise the integrity of a contract and its function. According to the Ohio Legislative Service Commission, each municipality functions as a corporation. As such, each must operate ethically and fairly.
The strategies used to enforce compliance can also make a contract more meaningful and more effective. Hiring a trustworthy attorney can give you practical insight into methods you can use to strengthen the municipal contractual agreements you enter into throughout your tenure.
