This rule below from the Texas Transportation Code means that CMTA was required by law to submit services to open and competitive bid that have been operated by Star Tran Inc without competition since 1990. We can hardly measure the massive cost to the community in wasted tax dollars and bad management caused by this failure of CMTA. You might wonder, why would they do this? Well, the fact is that CMTA and Star Tran managers work side by side, and this relationship is too friendly, so that CMTA cannot bring themselves to submit this work to open competition because they know that many of the very highly paid Star Tran managers would be unemployed. So apparently retaining golf buddies and cocktail party friends in the money soaked "public transportation circuit" is more important than either following the rule of law, or respecting tax payer money. And remember, almost $30 million in your federal deficit dollars from the Stimulus Bill are heading toward CMTA right now.
Sec. 452.107. PURCHASES: COMPETITIVE BIDDING. (a) Except as provided by Subsection (c), an authority may not award a contract for construction, services, or property, other than real property, except through the solicitation of competitive sealed bids or proposals, including the reverse auction procedure, ensuring full and open competition.
(b) The authority shall describe in a solicitation each factor to be used to evaluate a bid or proposal and give the factor's relative importance.
(c) The executive committee may authorize the negotiation of a contract without competitive sealed bids or proposals if:
(1) the aggregate amount involved in the contract is $25,000 or less;
(2) the contract is for construction for which not more than one bid or proposal is received;
(3) the contract is for services or property for which there is only one source or for which it is otherwise impracticable to obtain competition;
(4) the contract is to respond to an emergency for which the public exigency does not permit the delay incident to the competitive process;
(5) the contract is for personal or professional services or services for which competitive bidding is precluded by law; or
(6) the contract, without regard to form and which may include bonds, notes, loan agreements, or other obligations, is for the purpose of borrowing money or is a part of a transaction relating to the borrowing of money, including:
(A) a credit support agreement, such as a line or letter of credit or other debt guaranty;(B) a bond, note, debt sale or purchase, trustee, paying agent, remarketing agent, indexing agent, or similar agreement; (C) an agreement with a securities dealer or investment adviser, broker, or underwriter; and (D) any other contract or agreement considered by the executive committee to be appropriate or necessary in support of the authority's financing activities
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