City charter amendment approved

Voters overwhelmingly approved a charter amendment that gives the mayor and city of Lincoln more authority to make purchases and sign contracts without as much red tape.

The amendment affects how the city buys materials, parts, supplies and equipment.

The amendment:

* Requires the mayor to personally approve all purchases or contracts of more than $25,000, rather than the current $5,000 threshold.

* Allows the mayor to delegate approval of purchases or contracts of less than $25,000.

* Increases the threshold at which the purchasing division must advertise for formal bids for purchases from $10,000 to $25,000. Informal bids will be sought for purchases under $25,000.

* Gives the mayor the authority to waive the competitive bidding requirement in an emergency. Currently, only the City Council has that authority.

* Allows the mayor to authorize the construction of infrastructure, without formal bidding, by private companies if the city will be paying for no more than $100,000 of the cost.

* Allows the city to make street improvements if the cost doesn’t exceed $25,000 and the city receives no bids. The current threshold is $10,000.