ORANGE : Police Car Purchase a Boost to Local Plan

When the City Council approved the purchase of four brand-new police cruisers this week, officers weren’t the only ones cheering.

That’s because the cars were bought from Villa Ford in Orange, and not from a car dealership outside the city.

The $59,260 purchase is the most successful result of a new city effort to do more of its buying within city limits. City officials and business leaders said the drive is designed to give a boost to local businesses and provide Orange with additional sales tax revenues.

Right now, about 34% of the city’s $17 million in general funding purchases are done within Orange, said Roland Richard, the city’s purchasing officer.

Some believe that even more city business can be passed on to local firms. The key, they said, is showing business owners how the process works and convincing them that they can make a profit with city contracts.

“Part of the problem is the perception (by some business owners) that a lot of red tape is involved,” said Brent Hunter, executive director of the Orange Chamber of Commerce. “It’s a business they don’t understand.”

As a result, some local business owners who could provide the city with services and products simply don’t submit bids, officials said.

To change this, the Chamber of Commerce plans to hold a special seminar on the subject later this month. Purchasing managers from both the city and the county will be available to answer questions about making bids and getting paid.

“We are trying to unmask the system. It’s not as complex as some people think,” Hunter said.

Hunter and city officials point to the purchase of police cruisers as an example of how such encouragement pays off.

When the city first opened the process, the lowest bid for the vehicles came from Prestige Ford in San Bernardino County. But before accepting Prestige’s price, city officials asked two Orange dealers--Villa Ford and Roger Miller Ford--to submit bids, said John K. French of the city’s purchasing department.

Both dealers made bids, and in the end, Villa Ford’s price was about $700 lower than the San Bernardino firm’s, French said.

Hoping to duplicate the success with other businesses, the city recently sent letters to local firms reminding them of the opportunity to bid on city purchases.

Business leaders also have urged the city to make it easier for local businesses to bid.