The Purchasing Department processed 4,852 Purchase Orders during the 2000 fiscal year. This was a reduction of 1,474 over the prior year. This reduction is attributed to the use of the County's Purchasing Card. Fiscal year 2001 will have an even greater reduction in the number of Purchase Orders issued. Currently the County is processing over $70,000 per month through the Purchasing Card Program. Last year this amount was $15,000 per month. In addition to the reduction in Purchase Orders the County will receive a rebate from the State for over $1,500. This rebate will increase as the volume purchased increases.

The Purchasing Department has been able to keep the work load from increasing over the years by implementing innovative procedures such as the Purchasing Card and the use of DemandStar.com for handling bid and RFP documents. The County is growing and the demands on the Purchasing Department by the user departments continue to increase but by re-engineering the "way we do business" the department has been able to keep the need for additional personnel at the status quo.