For Immediate Release:
April 4, 2014
County hosts Cooperative Contracts Forum
Conference highlights cost savings for municipalities
FREEHOLD, NJ – Monmouth County hosted a forum today to highlight how towns can benefit, cut administration costs and save taxpayer dollars through cooperative contracts.
The Cooperative Contracts Forum presented information on state cooperative contracts that are passed on by the County to local municipalities. These contracts allow counties and local municipalities to purchase products and services without going out to bid, thus guaranteeing quality products.
“There is a lot of time and money to be saved through the use of cooperative contracts,” said Freeholder Thomas A. Arnone, liaison to the County Office of Shared Services. “This forum served as an opportunity to explain these benefits directly to representatives of our municipalities.”
NJ Department of Treasury Procurement Specialist Brian Gallagher and Monmouth County Division of Purchasing Director Gerri Popkin gave presentations on the potential benefits of using cooperative contracts to approximately 40 attendees representing 32 municipalities.
“It was great to see that more than half of the County’s towns were represented at this conference to learn about the benefits available to them through cooperative contracts,” said Freeholder Serena DiMaso. “The County strives to help our municipalities save money in many ways including guaranteed loans, cooperative contracts and other shared services.”
“The County’s Purchasing Division works tirelessly to ensure that every taxpayer dollar is spent efficiently and effectively,” said Freeholder Deputy Director Gary J. Rich, Sr., liaison to the County Purchasing Division. “The County passes on savings directly to municipalities whenever possible and these cooperative contracts are a great example of these potential savings.”
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