December 13, 2023 |
Photo – County Commissioners – Bigfoot99 file photo
The county commissioners explain why they don’t use a rotating system for selecting the official county newspaper. The issue was raised by a representative of a local newspaper.
Wyoming state Law, Title 18-Counties, Chapter –County Officers, Article 5 County Commissioners, Section 18-3-518m requires counties to publish legal notices in a local newspaper at the lowest display advertising rate. Every year, the county solicits bids from newspapers to handle its legally required publications on an annual basis. Radio and television stations need not apply because of newspaper lobbyists at work in the legislature.
During the December 5th Board of Carbon County Commissioners meeting, Clerk Gwynn Bartlett said the county spent $20,000 last year on newspaper advertisements. Clerk Bartlett said she requested bids from the two eligible newspapers in Carbon County: the Rawlins Times and Saratoga Sun. Bartlett suggested the county continue to use the Saratoga Sun.
Before the commissioners decided the issue, Rawlins Times General Sales Manager Lloyd White interrupted the proceedings to say the county should change its official newspaper every year. White said his paper offers a special deal to the county, making the Rawlins Times bid comparable to the Saratoga Sun’s.
The Carbon County Comet was formed this past June. To be considered for official county use a newspaper whether it’s daily or weekly, must have been in business for an entire year.
White said that rotating between the three newspapers would be a fair way for the county to select its official publication.
Clerk Bartlett said the small price difference could easily add up over the course of a year. The county clerk said the newspaper with the lowest bid should always be selected.
White said his paper’s buy-one-get-one-free offer for non-legal advertisements will more than make up for the higher column inch price.
Commission Chairwoman Sue Jones said the county has used a rotating system in the past. Chairwoman Jones said the Rawlins Times couldn’t keep up with the demand of the county, so they instituted the current bidding system. However, the commission chairwoman said she is open to reconsidering the rotating system.
Commissioner Travis Moore said a rotating system could incentive a newspaper to raise its price. Commissioner Moore said the county would need to institute a price matching guarantee.
Commissioner Moore said a rotating system would require the county to forgo its legally obligated bidding process and write new ordinances mandating the three papers to offer pricing within a certain percentage of one another.
The commissioner said that procedure would be far more complicated than the current bidding process the county has in place now.
The board voted to select the Saratoga Sun as the county’s official newspaper for 2024.
