Soddy‑Daisy rejects bids for police and court building after low bid tops budget by $1.3 million

Soddy‑Daisy officials voted unanimously June 20 to reject bids for a proposed police department and court building after bids came in well above the current budget.

City Manager Burt Johnson told the commission the lowest bid received was $3.675 million, about $1.3 million higher than the $2.5 million currently budgeted for the project. He said 6–8 companies attended the pre‑bid conference but only two to three submitted bids, and that bidders cited projected construction time as one reason fewer firms bid.

Johnson said staff is adjusting the construction plans to eliminate or scale back items that would not be noticeable, expecting savings “approximately $200,000,” but recommended rejecting the current bids and rebidding the project at a later time. He warned that if bids remain in the $3.5 million range the city would need to borrow to cover the gap.

Vice‑Mayor Coleman moved to reject the bids and rebid the project; Commissioner Penney seconded the motion. The commission approved the motion unanimously.

The decision leaves the project on hold pending a revised scope and a new bidding process. The commission did not set a new timeline at the meeting; Johnson said staff would return with revisions and next steps.