The Edgar County Watchdogs is raising questions about whether bid rigging occurred when the Algonquin Township Highway Department sought bids for a new street sweeper.
The Watchdogs, in a recent posting on its website, said bid rigging may have occurred and detailed seven ‘red flags’ of rigged specifications from the International Anti-Corruption Resource Center.
The first red flag is a bid with specifications which are either narrower or wider than past, similar bids, the posting said. If the winning bidder’s product or service is considered similar to the specifications or the specifications mention specific brand names, the person receiving the bids should read this as a possible rigged bid. This person must also be aware if the winning bidder prepared the contract specifications, the losing bidders complain of specifications tailored to the winning bid or if there are significantly less bids than expected. The last red flag is if one bidder continually receives contract awards.
In the case of the Algonquin Township street sweeper, the specifications were an exact match to the winning bidder’s product, the Watchdogs said. This bidder also prepared the contract specifications.
The Watchdogs previously asked for a Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) request, which the township clerk has not responded to, so the ECWD does not know how many bids were given for this specific project.
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