Moravia village officials could not show they sought competition for more than $1.3 million in purchases, including vehicles, wastewater supplies and professional services, a state comptroller's audit found. The finding does not establish that the money was stolen or that every purchase cost more than necessary. It means the village lacked the bidding, selection or quotation records needed to demonstrate that the spending met legal and local requirements.
The September audit examined whether officials sought competition when buying goods and services. Its review period ran from June 1, 2024, through June 26, 2026, while the spending it analyzed totaled more than $5 million from June 2024 through August 2025. About $3.2 million of that spending was tied to a wastewater treatment plant capital improvement project.
Auditors reviewed 137 purchases totaling $4.2 million. They identified three distinct problems: $281,444 in purchases that were not competitively bid, $992,544 paid to professional-service and insurance providers without a competitive selection process, and $100,176 in purchases for which required written quotes were not obtained.
Vehicles and wastewater purchases were not bid
The unbid purchases included three vehicles costing $138,708. The village treasurer and a department head told auditors they believed the vehicles were being bought through a state Office of General Services contract based on what a vendor said. Auditors found the purchases were not made through such a contract and said officials should verify and retain records for any claimed exception to bidding requirements.
The same finding covered $72,538 for sludge-removal services, $33,328 for wastewater treatment chemicals and $36,870 for two sewer pumps. Officials had not put procedures in place to track combined purchases of the same goods or services, which can trigger bidding requirements when costs accumulate over a 12-month period, the report said.
The mayor, three village board members and several department officials told auditors they were unaware of or did not fully understand the rule on aggregate purchases. Officials also told auditors they did not fully understand what needed to be bid for the sewer pumps.
State law generally requires advertised competitive bids for village purchase contracts exceeding $20,000 and public works contracts exceeding $35,000. Some exceptions exist, including eligible purchases through other publicly awarded government contracts, but auditors said officials must verify that the conditions for an exception are met.
Professional services and smaller purchases lacked competition
The village paid 13 professional-service and insurance providers $992,544 without seeking competing proposals, auditors found. The village procurement policy did not address competition for those services. The report distinguished this from the unbid vehicle and wastewater purchases: state law does not require bidding for professional services and insurance, but the comptroller recommended a competitive process to help assess price and terms.
Auditors also tested 20 purchases totaling $108,613 that were below competitive-bidding thresholds. Sixteen of them, totaling $100,176, lacked written quotations required by village policy. Those purchases included uniforms, supplies, ammunition and equipment rentals.
The public works and wastewater treatment supervisors told auditors they generally did not obtain quotes because they bought from local vendors or vendors with whom they had established relationships. The policy encouraged local purchasing, but auditors said that preference did not excuse its quotation requirement.
The mayor and treasurer acknowledged that not all purchases had the required written quotes and said they were trying to improve compliance. Auditors said they did not provide adequate explanations for the missing quotes in the transactions reviewed.
The audit's findings were based on examined transactions, not a projection that the same shortcomings applied to every village purchase. The comptroller said that without documented competition, the board cannot determine whether the purchases complied with applicable requirements or represented the most economical terms for taxpayers.
Village plans a revised procurement policy
The comptroller recommended that the village board ensure compliance with state law and local policy, add competitive-selection guidance for professional services and insurance, and establish a way to track aggregate purchases. The report also called for training and retention of bids, quotes and other supporting records.
Mayor Christopher Fulton said in the village's written response that officials were reviewing the findings with consultants and preparing a revised procurement plan. He said the village had reviewed the recommendations and would document its changes in a corrective-action plan.
The village board must prepare and submit that plan to the comptroller's office within 90 days of the report. The comptroller encouraged officials to make it available for public review at the village clerk's office.
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