Newton Citizen

COVINGTON - In an effort to pinch pennies and buy local, the Board of Commissioners broke with the Leadership Collaborative on pest control services and opted for a provider that will save the county more than $8,000.

The low bid for pest control services for members of the collaborative - which includes the Newton County Board of Commissioners, the Newton County School System, the Newton County Water and Sewerage Authority, the city of Covington and Social Circle City Schools - came in at $32,292, representing a 33 percent combined annual savings for all the agencies, according to the Newton County Purchasing Department.

However, when the commission learned that Cox's Mid-Georgia Pest Control of Grayson was the low bidder, they asked for more information in an effort to keep the county's portion of the contract local.

While Cox's offered the lowest combined bid, the cost to the county was $11,340.

Covington-based Beyond Exterminating offered an annual cost to the county of $5,602.78, coming in at nearly $6,000 below Cox's, though their combined bid for all agencies was higher. Beyond's bid also represents a savings of more than $8,000 from the current provider, Cleary Exterminating Inc., which charges $13,800 per year.

"I think anytime we can keep business local in the county or city it's very important," said District 5 Commissioner Tim Fleming. "We're still getting a good deal out of Beyond Exterminating."

The board unanimously awarded the annual renewable contract to Beyond Exterminating.

Commissioners have been looking at ways to save money after learning of an expected budget shortfall of up to $5.5 million.

Crystal Tatum can be reached at crystal.tatum@newtoncitizen.com.