When the State Legislature gave Mayor Michael R. Bloomberg control of the New York City public school system in 2002, the newly created Department of Education was also granted the privilege of writing their own policy on contracts.
Other non-mayoral departments—like the MTA—adopted procedures that closely mirror the City’s official charter on contracting. The Department [...]

As we’ve conducted this investigation, getting any response from the Department of Education has been difficult – until now.  On Wednesday morning, we were granted a 45-minute interview with Executive Director of Contracts and Purchasing David N. Ross.
Ross also sits as the head of the Committee on Contracts, which recommends which no-bid contracts should be [...]

Last month, during his weekly radio address, Mayor Michael R. Bloomberg emphasized the importance of “transparency and accountability.”
“The past seven years we’ve swung open the doors of city government,” he said.  “Giving the public the essential information it needs to make sure that we are living up to our obligations and responsibilities to New Yorkers.”
We [...]