Pulaski County Council Denies iPad Purchase for Third Time

For the third time, Pulaski County commissioners appeared before the county council to request their approval for the purchase of four iPads at a cost of $4259, and also for the third time, the council denied the request. Commissioner Tracey Shorter said that the iPads would allow the commissioners to work more efficiently, explaining that it is hard for the commissioners and the county attorney to keep up with the information that is provided in their information packets, and that inconvenience has, in the past, translated to a loss for the county.

The council, however, felt that the iPads were not a necessity and rather a luxury – and an expensive one at that. The council did note that the commissioners have enough money in their budget between two line items – Miscellaneous Services and Charges, and Equipment – to purchase the items themselves, however, but they emphasized that the council as a whole did not agree with the purchase.

One council member asked Shorter to get a quote on the devices from AT&T in addition to the quote from Verizon Wireless before the commissioners proceed with the purchase, if they choose to, and bring it before the council.

The commissioners currently have roughly $4000 in the Miscellaneous Services and Charges line item and $1000 in the Equipment line item. Shorter did not say for sure whether or not the commissioners would proceed with the purchase out of their own budget.