Representative BRACY and Ocoee's No Bid Contract Situation

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Category: Politics

Published: Sunday, 01 March 2015 21:34

Written by Tim Adams, Th.D.

by Tim Adams, Th.D.
editor's note: Minister Tim Adam responded to an article appearing in the Orlando Sentinel on 2/28/2015 titled, 'Ocoee hires state rep as consultant in no-bid contract'
Representative Bracy signed a contract to provide consulting services to the West Orange County City of Ocoee. This also Happens to be where his district office is located on the City Hall campus. "I take my reputation, my name, seriously," said Bracy, a Democrat who represents Ocoee, Pine Hills, most of Winter Garden and South Apopka.

The $100,000 grant, included in the 2014-15 state budget, identified Bracy and Sen. Geraldine

Thompson, D-Orlando, as legislative sponsors. It will help Ocoee and neighboring Winter Garden pay for planning services aimed at helping the two cities promote three key interchanges on a 4-mile stretch of S.R. 429.

The joint-planning effort is crucial for the cities to avoid "willy-nilly" development at the sites, Winter Garden City Manager Mike Bollhoefer said.

"What we do around these interchanges will determine west Orange County's long-term future," he said.

The cities hope the state-funded planning effort helps them attract and land a Fortune 500 company, corporate headquarters or other businesses offering high-wage jobs as an economic anchor for the region, a goal Rep. Bracy thinks he can help them reach.

Ocoee Assistant City Manager Craig Shadrix, who recommended Bracy to city commissioners, described him as a "great ambassador" for the city. He credited Rep. Bracy with arranging meetings for the city with developers who previously had shown little or no interest in Ocoee. "This is his profession, this is what he does," Shadrix said. "He has the ability to get us in front of [business] people we'd like to be in front of."

Minister Tim Adams responds:
Representative Bracy has been a Business Development Specialist with a masters degree for more than five years. He is well versed on matters of Business Development. While we, (Minister Adams and Randolph Bracy), do not always take the same approach to matters, it was my decision to support him rather than seek that Florida House Seat.

I feel that he has shown honesty and integrity in dealing with public issues. This situation, where he works for the City of OCOEE for $20,000 as result of a no - bid contract is news worthy.

However, the City of Ocoee States that it has a long standing policy of allowing no bid contracts under that amount of $25,000. Should the citizens of OCOEE, or Representative Bracy's District object, there may be a need to change the rules in the case of a sitting elected official.

Representative Bracy did seek; and explained that he was provided a legal opinion that clears him to obtain contracts of this nature. If a public discussion of this matter is to be made, it should be after we obtain the written copy of the legal opinion and the copy of the City of Ocoee Ordinance that allows this No Bid Situation to occur.

Then We Must also ask, 'Have any other instances of elected officials obtaining these type contracts taken place?' Open and honest public policy is key SM

Thanks and I Stand open for Comments and Discussion on these and any other PUBLIC POLICY.
Minister Tim Adams, Th.D.