A Quincy Tale: Crony Capitalism in Local Government

The Quincy (Ill.)City Council–with the support of all GOP Alderman–decided to reward a large contributor to Quincy Mayor John Spring’s campaign with a $6.69 million contract with the city.

US Senator Durbin Laughing with the Local Machine About the Spoils

City officials used an RFP process that pretty much guaranteed the company was going to keep doing business as usual with the city.

A committee of appointed city officals and a paid consultant recommended approval with Environmental Management Corporation (EMC), O’Fallon, MO, for the management of the city’s waste water treatment plant and biosolid disposal operations based upon a five-year contract.

EMC’s contract calls for the city to pay management fees of $717,000 in year one, $734,925 in year two, $753,298 in year three, $772,131 in year four and $791,434 in year five. The city’s cost for its own eight employees during that same period is $2,873,019 in salaries and up to $141,921 in overtime for a five-year total of $6,693,727.

A proposal EMC submitted using all of its own employees would have cost the city $7.1 million.

So, yes, the city is paying a private company about $750,000 a year over the next five years to manage public employees.

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