The Herald, Sharon, Pa.

Local News

September 20, 2012

Buhl Farm wants to join purchasing program

By Joe Pinchot Herald Staff Writer

MERCER COUNTY — The cornerstone of councils of government across Pennsylvania is the joint purchasing program.

If communities can save money by banding together, turf issues don’t seem so important.

Mercer County Regional Council of Government’s joint purchasing program remains a central effort 41 years after COG’s founding, used by communities hoping that bulk purchases of gasoline, diesel fuel, culvert pipe, lubricants and any number of pricey items by competitive bidding will lead to better prices than an individual municipality could get from a supplier.

“That was one of the flagship, startup” programs for COG, said Executive Director Thomas R. Tulip. “It is why most COGs get off the ground.”

As Mercer County COG prepares to launch this year’s joint-purchasing program, Tulip got a call the other day that left him excited, but unsure. Officials of Buhl Farm park, Hermitage, asked if the park could participate in the joint purchasing program.

COG is made up of 26 municipalities and the county. The basic question COG officials are trying to answer is whether a non-member can participate in a COG program, Tulip said.

If the answer is no, then COG officials will look into whether the park, a nonprofit corporation, could join, or whether the park could piggyback on the purchases of a member, such as the park adding the goods it wants to buy onto the city of Hermitage’s list.

Park Executive Director Pat O’Mahony’s initial interest was in buying fuel, but COG alters the list of items to purchase based on member requests.

Tulip said he would like to include the park in joint purchasing.

“Our gut reaction is we don’t see why they shouldn’t participate,” he said. “They’re a vital cog in our community.”

COG is giving its members until Oct. 9 to let it know what products it would like to buy through the program, and Tulip said there is enough time for the park to participate this year, should it be allowed.

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