(June 21) Just prior to the close of the 2012-13 fiscal year, the county is augmenting the sheriff’s department’s auto repair budget with  an additional $240,000 to increase five purchase orders from $500,000 to $740,000 with five automotive repair services.
According to sheriff’s captain Steve Higgins, the department wanted “additional purchasing authority of $240,000 for automotive repairs to be completed through June 30, 2013. Historically, the department seeks board of supervisors approval for its annual automotive procurement in the first quarter of the fiscal year. However, in 2012-13 the annual item was delayed due to the completion of a request for proposals to award multiple purchase orders for automotive repair services. Shortly thereafter, vacancies occurred in the department’s procurement and accounts payable sections. This resulted in the department’s internal tracking measures failing to identify it had exceeded its purchasing authority with one vendor, Citori in Hesperia. The department’s position vacancies in the accounts payable section are being filled to ensure improved tracking in the future.”
According to Higgins, the department had contracts with five automotive garages –  Hesperia-based Citori, which is also known as G&M Automotive; Rancho Cucamonga-based Inland Empire Stages; Highland-based Peta’s Car Care; San Bernardino-based Pride Automotive; and San Bernardino-based McCray Enterprises – to do $100,000 worth of automotive repair work for the department in 2012-13. As of this week, according to Higgins, Citori/G&M Automotive had actually done $188,760 worth of work. He asked for the Citori/G&M’s 2012-13 expenditure limit to be increased to $225,000. He said that Inland Empire Stages had to date completed $99,664 worth of work and he asked for the expenditure limit for Inland Empire Stages to be upped to $115,000.
Peta’s Car Care had completed $94,524 worth of work and Higgins requested spending authorization with that concern be increased to $120,000. Pride Automotive had billed for $97,282 and Higgins requested that the department be authorized to have that company complete $130,000 worth of work by June 30.
McCray Enterprises had completed $94,845 worth of work as of earlier this week. Higgins sought and obtained spending authority with that entity be increased to $150,000.