St. Joseph County commissioners Tuesday voted to privatize the cleaning of county government buildings, a move they say will save big money.
The commissioners awarded a contract to Gobel’s Commercial Cleaning. Company owner Joshua Gobel told commissioners that the county employees who will lose their jobs by the end of the month took the news like a “gut punch.”
But Gobel said he’s offered all 19 people – 16 part-time and 3 full-time – jobs with his company. He said he’s offered them positions at their 2024 county pay rates, either continuing to clean the county buildings or working on other contracts that he has.
County Procurement Director Bree Roberts told commissioners the county spends about $633,000 a year on the cleaning staff but will pay Gobel’s firm about $337,000, resulting in $300,000 in savings.
Commissioners did not put the contract out for competitive bidding, and the law doesn’t require them to bid out professional services, only capital projects.
The all-Republican commissioners in 2022 appointed Gobel to a position on the county redevelopment commission, and he ran unsuccessfully for Clay Township advisory board as a Republican.
