House Media Division
State and local government agencies are experiencing reduced and avoided excess costs of $30 million dollars each year as a result of reforms to the state’s centralized purchasing system.
The new savings number was published in a report released by the Central Purchasing Division of the Office of Management and Enterprise Services, where it was sent to Governor Mary Fallin and legislative officials. It shows savings during the state’s 2012 fiscal year. Each year the report is published as part of a mandate from the Legislature which seeks to track the ongoing impact of the reforms.
The savings impact sharply accelerates from the last report which was released during 2012. That report demonstrated 14 million in annual savings. Now the savings are more than double the previous number.
“This report reflects the ongoing commitment of State Purchasing Director Schott Schlotthauer, State Chief Information Officer Alex Pettit and their team of purchasing officers. They are continuing to save money on behalf of the taxpayer and doing right for Oklahoma taxpayers.” said state Rep. Jason Murphey, chair of the House Government Modernization Committee, which has overseen many of the purchasing system reforms.
“As Government Modernization Committee members, it is our job to stay engaged and to ensure these cost-saving reforms are being carried out on behalf on the taxpayer. It is clear that it’s all due to the hard work of the state employees in central purchasing,” said state Rep. Mike Turner, vice-chair of the Government Modernization Committee.
Murphey and Turner will ask the Government Modernization Committee to review the specifics of the savings report during an upcoming interim study. Each year the committee receives the latest report and takes testimony from the state officials charged with carrying out the reform.
