By Bill Grubb

ROGERSVILLE — With more than a $75,000 difference in the bids, the member of the Rogersville Water Commission voted Monday to accept a low bid of $59,763 for the construction of a new water department building.

    Commission members received two bids for the project, the low bid submitted by contractor Travis Charles and  a bid of $135,056 from Carpenter Construction.

    Last month the commission rejected the lone bid submitted by Parkway Contractors of $152,628 for the labor required to construct a new 1,932 square foot office on the East Main Street property vacated by the city street department.

    At Monday’s meeting the commission also approved a bid of $20,272.35 from Henard Lumber company for the materials to construct the building edging out a bid of $21,540 from  Liberty Lumber.   

    Commissions member and Alderman Wayne Slater noted one of the businesses paid city taxes and the other did not, and suggested that could be used as a justification for awarding the bid.

    “You don’t necessarily have to accept a low bid,” City Attorney Bill Phillips said.  “But it wouldn’t be appropriate to use who does and does not pay property taxes as a way to award a bid.”

    During the May meeting of the Rogersville Board of Mayor and Aldermen the water superintendent estimated the total cost of the project at approximately $280,000.

    The water department currently leases office space on West Main Street, which needs to be vacated by next summer.