City staff propose modest purchasing-policy increases to limit routine board approvals

City staff presented proposed revisions to Dardenne Prairie's purchasing policy at the Jan. 21 work session, recommending higher staff authority for routine and minor capital expenditures to reduce the number of budgeted items that must return to the board for approval.

Kathy Pratt told the board that the current code requires board approval for any purchase over $10,000, even if the item was budgeted. She cited 2025 examples in which a $13,000 deck mower required board approval and a ride-on sprayer included in the budget late in the year could not be processed without returning to the board. Pratt said the staff proposal would raise the routine-operation threshold by $5,000 (from $10,000 to $15,000) and would increase authority for minor capital expenses by $15,000.

"The board approved a deck mower. It's a $13,000 purchase," Pratt said, noting that some routine line items that are budgeted nevertheless triggered board approval under the current code.

At least one alderman said most routine purchases could wait the two weeks until the next regular meeting and proposed a separate emergency-expenditure threshold of $50,000 to cover unexpected events such as major water breaks. No final action was taken during the work session; staff returned the item for further discussion and the revision will appear on the regular meeting agenda for a formal vote.

If adopted, the change would aim to reduce routine administrative burden by allowing staff to execute budgeted items within the new threshold without seeking board approval.