New Muskego purchasing policy criticized as being too hands-off

Muskego aldermen will review whether a change they made last year to the city's purchasing policy is a little too hands-off.

The new policy came under criticism at Tuesday's Committee of the Whole meeting because once the Common Council approves the budget for the year, aldermen have no more say over how the money is spent.

Priorities change and sometimes spending for a large project isn't such a good idea anymore, Alderman Daniel Soltysiak said. He would rather go back to the way it was before with the Finance Committee signing off on all contracts of more than $25,000, he said. Under the changed policy, no contracts or expenditures come back to the committee or Common Council, if they are in the budget.

Alderman Kert Harenda also criticized the new policy, saying that money saved on one project can be applied to another when the council might not want that to happen. He wanted more council oversight on such transfers.

The Committee of the Whole will meet with department heads as early as Jan. 22 to see if going back to the old policy or modifying the new one might be in order.