The state says there's no evidence of the intergovernmental agreement that Springfield officials relied on as the legal basis for the NAPA contract approved last month.
Last week, city attorneys asked the state to find proof of a state agreement with a national purchasing agency. Earlier this month, some aldermen questioned the contract used to procure the 3 year, $3 million contract with NAPA Auto Parts.
The city got their answer today, a letter that indicates no trace of the agreement.
But Springfield Mayor Mike Houston says last year more than 400 units of local government in Illinois used that agreement as the basis for purchasing.
"While we can't come up with the specific document, my feeling is that there probably was one at some time. It's a matter of discovering it," Houston said.
Under the deal, NAPA would be the sole supplier of auto parts to city government. Houston says it will save taxpayers' money.
He is asking the council to reaffirm the contract agreement with Napa. If that doesn't happen, he says, the council will have to cancel it and re-bid.
