From getting greater value from credit card purchases to negotiating for substantial discounts, The Villages District Office is seeing the savings add up.
Finance Director Anne Hochsprung this past week told the Village Center Community Development District Board of Supervisors the District will be switching from Bank of America’s purchasing card program to the JP Morgan purchasing card program.
The JP Morgan card is compatible with new software being used by the District, and it is far more rewarding than the old card program.
“Currently, District staff use a purchasing card to pay for approximately $9.3 million of expenses annually with a net rebate returned to the District totaling approximately $129,000. All things equal, the new purchasing card platform will return approximately $172,000 in rebates, an additional annual savings to The District of $43,000. This new platform has additional functionality which will allow us the opportunity to receive up to $264,000 in rebates annually,” Hochsprung said.
The VCCDD board also learned of additional savings that will be made:
• The purchase of Carrousel System Equipment used in wastewater treatment processing will be coming in substantially lower than the budgeted amount of $702,000. The cost of the equipment will be $522,400.
• The District is investing in high-tech camera equipment for the inspection of storm drains and will be receiving a $4,335 discount after negotiations with the vendor.
• The District currently pays a monthly service charge for employees to access the internet at a rate of $10.50 per user, per month. The District has 549 employees who have access to the internet, resulting in a monthly expense of $5,764.50.
“By entering into an agreement to purchase commercial internet bandwidth, as opposed to per user accounts, the District will realize a significant savings,” said Director of Technology and Board Support Services Brittany Wilson.
The monthly expense for the service will be $1,225.00. The term of the agreement is 36 months, for an annual expense of $14,700.
• Finally, the District has renegotiated its contract for copier equipment and will see a savings of $30,900 during the five-year lease agreement.
VCCDD Board Chairman Steve Kurtz praised the hard work of the staff.
“It’s great to see our staff take the initiative and come up with these savings,” he said.
