Willistown No-Bid is No-Good
What Happened: On April 14th, 2025 Supervisors Robert Lange and William Shoemaker voted to approve a $6.5M Government NO-BID CONTRACT to build a Public Works Building for the 9 employees of the roads crew.
Why was this Contractor chosen without competitive bids? According to Lange and Shoemaker - they admit that the construction of the Police Headquarters was badly mismanaged while they were township supervisors in 2015. At the time, they selected a contractor from several competitive bids, which is the normal process. Because they feared repeating their mistakes with the new Public Works Building, they chose a new way - the design/build way, which employs a loophole in the government regulated bidding process. Only one contractor is selected to bid the project. There is no competitive bidding from anyone else. The design/build loophole-process costs the taxpayers more money because the selected contractor does not have to compete against other contractors.
Does the Selected Contractor have a special relationship with Lange and Shoemaker that allowed for this No-Bid Contract to be signed? As of this time, we have not discovered one. However - WE have found no other examples of $6.5M No-Bid Government Contracts in Willistown’s history.
The $6.5M Government Contract Drawings: The $6.5M contract is total of 2 drawings. Because the supplied 2 drawings are inadequate and incomplete for construction, it is impossible to estimate an accurate and competitive price. This is how the loophole works - keeps the taxpayer in the dark. Please write Lange and Shoemaker and request that they STOP THE CONTRACT and GET COMPETITIVE BIDS from local contractors.
$6.5M No-Bid Government Project - Site Plan Sheet 1/1.
$6.5M No-Bid Government Project - Building Plan - Sheet 1/1
How to Stop the Contract? Send an email to Lange and Shoemaker telling them to STOP THE CONTRACT and GET COMPETIVE BIDS from local contractors.
Sample email:
Dear (William Shoemaker or Robert Lange),
I believe this $6.5M No-Bid government contract will cost the taxpayers more money than it needs to.
If trees fall down on my property in Willistown, I call 2 or 3 contractors to get the best price. You should do the same.
STOP AND GET COMPETITIVE BIDS.
Sincerely yours,(you name)
Email to:
RLange@Willistown.pa.us
WShoemaker@Willistown.pa.us