Why can public officials award public contracts without advertising for bids?
NJ State law (N.J.S.A. 40A:11-5) permits the governing body to contract for professional services without public advertising or public bidding. The intent of the law is to allow selection based on merit rather than by lowest cost. The no-bid professional services contracts most often include engineering, public planning, accounting, and legal services. For a similar reason, public officials can award no-bid contracts to developers of properties needing improvement in designated “Redevelopment Areas”. No-bid contracts are often awarded, however, based on who gave the most money to a campaign.
