The City of Amarillo announced last week that it will soon be rolling out a new process for vendors submitting bids to the city.

The new program, Bonfire, “replaces the city’s Public Purchase platform,” according to City of Amarillo Purchasing Agent Michael Lindley.

In a press release, the city highlighted potential advantages, including faster and easier bid submissions, increased participation, and fewer disqualifications. Specifically, the city claims that "clear guidelines will help reduce disqualifications by 65 percent.”

The city’s bidding process has earned the attention of city council. During a meeting shortly after being elected, Councilman Tom Scherlen expressed concern about spending items with only one bidder listed. “I always has two or three bids come back,” Scherlen noted in reference to his experience in business.

“Solicitations posted prior to June 3 will follow the current bidding process,” per a city press release.