Conflict Erupts Over Transparency in Washington, D.C., Procurement Reform

Washington, D.C., Mayor Muriel Bowser and City Council members are stewing over two procurement reform bills that pit transparency against executive decision-making.

The ideological tug of war stems from bills by Bowser and Council Chairman Phil Mendelson whose proposals could impact public access to procurement documents online and alter the city council’s oversight on costly contracts.

To expedite procurements, Bowser has submitted a bill that would reduce the city council’s authority while increasing her administration’s ability to move previously approved contracts forward. This includes doing away with secondary council approvals for option years — that could change during the course of vendor negotiations. It would also dismiss additional council reviews when city agencies and vendors have adjusted a contract so costs extend beyond the $1 million mark. The changes are intended to cut what the mayor’s administration sees as unnecessary, and sometimes burdensome, procedures.

The mayor’s office was not immediately available for comment on the bill.

In contrast, Mendelson’s bill, submitted with six additional council members, increases the council’s oversight of contracts while promoting transparency through a searchable public database of contracts valued at $100,000 or more. The open database would be further populated with a summary that lists contracts of less than $100,000. Mendelson’s measure raises D.C.’s transparency standards that, at present, have council documents in unsearchable PDF formats and omit notifications of contracts less than $100,000. Likewise, the bill calls for an Ombudsman to oversee the accuracy and transparency of procurements.

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