Washington County board approves $12,556 in vendor payments despite bypassing purchasing law
GREENVILLE - The Washington County Board of Supervisors voted to pay two vendor invoices totaling roughly $12,556 after the county's own attorney warned on the record that the purchases had not followed required bidding and purchase-order procedures.
The vote came during the board's general business meeting on August 3. The invoices covered an $8,511.28 installation of tankless water heaters and a $4,045.33 pump repair at the Washington County Correctional Facility, neither of which had gone through the purchasing process required before the work was done. Before the vote, the county attorney told supervisors, "You expose yourself personally if the state auditor decides that you did not adhere to the law... and order the... and refund the money, then the individual board members who voted for it would be held accountable."
Despite the warning, the board approved payment of both invoices, with one member casting a dissenting vote, according to the meeting record.
The exchange highlights a recurring concern in local government oversight: officials approving after-the-fact payments outside state purchasing law even after being told explicitly that doing so could expose them to personal liability. Under the warning given by the county attorney, if the State Auditor later determines the purchases violated procurement requirements and orders repayment, the supervisors who voted in favor could be held individually responsible for the funds.