The Mount Vernon City Council has sanctioned the city's involvement in the Houston-Galveston Area Council Cooperative Purchasing Program. This initiative aims to procure goods and services required by the city at more affordable rates.

Safety-Service Director Tanner Salyers, along with Law Director Rob Broeren, clarified that this legislation's approval would facilitate participation in a cooperative plan akin to the Sourcewell plan which the city joined last year. "Joining Sourcewell allowed the city to buy a leaf machine at significant savings," according to the minutes of the Mount Vernon City Council's meeting held on April 8.

The Houston-Galveston Area Council, based in Texas, manages a cooperative purchasing program offering nationwide procurement service for eligible entities under the Texas Interlocal Cooperation Act. As per the minutes of the Mount Vernon City Council's meeting on April 8, this cooperative program fulfills the requirements for an exemption under Ohio law from competitive bidding. The latter often introduces delays and unnecessary costs to routine contract procedures, as stated in the city's resolution.

Councilmember Janis Seavolt proposed a motion, seconded by Councilmember Tammy Woods, during which they suspended the rule necessitating three separate readings of the resolution. This information was documented in the minutes of Mount Vernon City Council's meeting on April 8. The resolution to join this Texan co-op purchasing program was unanimously approved with a 7-0 vote.