Court asks staff to research Amazon Business and purchasing controls after concerns about unauthorized buys

Commissioners and staff discussed tighter procurement controls after staff described challenges with some departments making unvetted purchases online. The finance presenter said there is an "Amazon Business" option that requires purchase orders and pre-approval before purchases post to the account, which would prevent some purchases occurring without prior review.

The court asked staff to investigate Amazon Business implementation, how cards on file are managed, and whether the county can require POs or pre-approval to prevent unauthorized or personal purchases on county accounts. Commissioners noted the control issue exists with other retailers too and asked for recommended procedural changes (PO-first workflows and administrative review) to appear in the draft procurement policy or administrative procedures.