§ 11k — Competitive bidding; notice requirements

(a) The board of trustees shall have the power to acquire by gift, legacy, or purchase any personal property necessary for its corporate purposes provided that all contracts for supplies, materials, or work involving an expenditure in excess of $20,000 shall be let to the lowest responsible bidder after advertising as required under subsection (b) of this Section; except that, if the board of trustees seeks to purchase equipment directly from a dealer or an original manufacturer in excess of $50,000, then the contract for purchase shall be let to the lowest responsible bidder after advertising as required under subsection (b) of this Section. The board is not required to accept a bid that does not meet the district's established specifications, terms of delivery, quality, and serviceability requirements. Contracts which, by their nature, are not adapted to award by competitive bidding, are not subject to competitive bidding, including, but not limited to: (1) contracts for the services of individuals possessing a high degree of professional skill where the ability or fitness of the individual plays an important part; (2) contracts for the printing of finance committee reports and departmental reports; (3) contracts for the printing or engraving of bonds, tax warrants, and other evidences of indebtedness; (4) contracts for the maintenance or servicing of, or provision of repair parts for, equipment which are made with the manufacturer or authorized service agent of that equipment where the provision of parts, maintenance, or servicing can best be performed by the manufacturer or authorized service agent, or which involve proprietary parts or technology not otherwise available; (5) purchases and contracts for the use, purchase, delivery, movement, or installation of data processing equipment, software, or services and telecommunications and interconnect equipment, software, and services; (6) contracts for duplicating machines and supplies; (7) contracts for utility services such as water, light, heat, telephone or telegraph; (8) contracts for goods or services procured from another governmental agency; (9) purchases of equipment previously owned by some entity other than the district itself; and (10) contracts for goods or services which are economically procurable from only one source, such as for the purchase of magazines, books, periodicals, pamphlets, reports, and online subscriptions. Contracts for emergency expenditures are also exempt from competitive bidding when the emergency expenditure is approved by a vote of 3/4 of the members of the board. (b) Except as otherwise provided in subsection (a) of this Section, all proposals to award contracts involving amounts in excess of $20,000 shall be published at least 10 days, excluding Sundays and legal holidays, in advance of the date announced for the receiving of bids, in a secular English language newspaper of general circulation throughout the district. In addition, a fire protection district that has a website that the full-time staff of the district maintains shall post notice on its website of all proposals to award contracts in excess of $20,000. Advertisements for bids shall describe the character of the proposed contract or agreement in sufficient detail to enable the bidders thereon to know what their obligations will be, either in the advertisement itself, or by reference to detailed plans and specifications on file at the time of the publication of the first announcement. Such advertisement shall also state the date, time and place assigned for the opening of bids, and no bids shall be received at any time subsequent to the time indicated in the announcement. All competitive bids for contracts involving an expenditure in excess of $20,000 must be sealed by the bidder and must be opened by a member of the board or an employee of the district at a public bid opening at which the contents of the bids must be announced. Each bidder must receive at least 3 days' notice of the time and place of the bid opening. (c) In addition to contracts entered into under the Governmental Joint Purchasing Act, a board of trustees may enter into contracts for supplies, materials, or work involving an expenditure in excess of $20,000 through participation in a joint governmental or nongovernmental purchasing program that requires as part of its selection procedure a competitive solicitation and procurement process. (d) Subject to the exceptions under subsections (a) and (c), any procurement by a board of trustees involving the acquisition, by direct or beneficial ownership, of improvements to real estate by a fire protection district which results in an expenditure of district funds in excess of $20,000 must be competitively bid in accordance with the procedures of subsection (b). (e) Nothing in this Section prohibits a fire protection district from entering into design-build contracts. Fire protection districts are authorized to use a design-build contracting method for construction if a competitive process consistent with the purpose of this Section is used in connection with the selection of the design-builder.

Legislative History

(Source: P.A. 103-634, eff. 1-1-25; 104-395, eff. 8-15-25.)