Travis Woodward, president of CSEA SEIU Local 2001 and an engineer for the Connecticut Department of Transportation, told the Appropriations Committee at a Feb. 14 public hearing that the State Contracting Standards Board (SCSB) needs continued funding to perform procurement oversight, enforce contracting standards and deliver taxpayer savings.

Woodward said funding has allowed the board to hire an executive director, chief procurement officer, staff attorney, accounts examiner, research analyst and trainer, enabling it to enforce state and federal statutes, rules and regulations governing procurement. He described the board’s formation after a costly construction oversight during I‑84 work and credited the board with influencing agency decisions that led to savings, including returning bridge inspection work to state employees and identifying potential annual savings up to $264,000,000 if the state engaged in competitive bidding for certain contracts.

Why it matters: Woodward argued that the board provides accountability and transparency in state contracting and urged the committee "to continue to fund the State Contracting Standards Board and to block any efforts to weaken or diminish its ability to deliver accountability and transparency for Connecticut taxpayers." No formal committee votes occurred during the public testimony portion of the hearing.