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What governments pay for the same thing

A city about to buy body-worn cameras has no way to find out what sixty other governments paid for them. The figures are all public and each one sits in a different agenda, in a different portal. Here they are side by side, drawn from 1580 governments' own award records.

Purchases many governments make

Body-worn cameras $132K – $1.72M 80 contracts · 69 governments Ambulances $224K – $765K 183 contracts · 94 governments Fire engines $159K – $1.36M 125 contracts · 69 governments Street sweepers $321K – $708K 69 contracts · 54 governments Janitorial services $92K – $814K 215 contracts · 88 governments Audit services $98K – $849K 226 contracts · 82 governments Tree trimming $89K – $990K 54 contracts · 33 governments Playground equipment $119K – $430K 322 contracts · 141 governments Asphalt paving $125K – $1.09M 676 contracts · 206 governments Crossing guards $195K – $2.04M 16 contracts · 14 governments Towing services $100K – $487K 52 contracts · 29 governments Security guard services $193K – $3.36M 69 contracts · 34 governments Water meters $129K – $1.16M 215 contracts · 102 governments Police vehicles $89K – $575K 319 contracts · 154 governments Traffic signals $103K – $700K 510 contracts · 138 governments Roof replacement $128K – $750K 196 contracts · 108 governments HVAC replacement $79K – $652K 386 contracts · 161 governments Engineering services $124K – $827K 2,490 contracts · 302 governments Legal services $53K – $440K 335 contracts · 78 governments Fuel $115K – $1.50M 410 contracts · 144 governments Ambulance stretchers and cots $92K – $272K 18 contracts · 14 governments Ambulance remount and refurbishment $210K – $300K 10 contracts · 8 governments Defibrillators $25K – $235K 51 contracts · 40 governments Firefighter turnout gear $72K – $200K 33 contracts · 24 governments Breathing apparatus (SCBA) $86K – $554K 44 contracts · 36 governments Fire hydrants $59K – $345K 72 contracts · 48 governments Fire alarm and sprinkler systems $60K – $335K 82 contracts · 44 governments Body armor and vests $74K – $234K 25 contracts · 21 governments Tasers and less-lethal $100K – $1.41M 95 contracts · 76 governments Police radio systems $108K – $1.09M 104 contracts · 58 governments License plate readers $49K – $300K 67 contracts · 46 governments Access control and security systems $92K – $497K 103 contracts · 74 governments Election and voting equipment $80K – $686K 66 contracts · 26 governments Refuse and recycling trucks $283K – $2.33M 67 contracts · 29 governments Dump trucks $132K – $518K 177 contracts · 103 governments Mowers and grounds equipment $52K – $169K 156 contracts · 93 governments Generators $84K – $508K 337 contracts · 160 governments Tires $100K – $598K 79 contracts · 31 governments Fleet parts and maintenance $180K – $2.50M 55 contracts · 21 governments Fuel delivery $400K – $3.75M 19 contracts · 16 governments Parking meters and enforcement $60K – $1.18M 23 contracts · 14 governments Permitting and licensing software $204K – $1.10M 22 contracts · 19 governments ERP and financial software $360K – $4.07M 35 contracts · 26 governments Software licenses $62K – $435K 270 contracts · 83 governments Cybersecurity services $74K – $400K 85 contracts · 53 governments GIS services $67K – $350K 46 contracts · 37 governments Phone systems $30K – $226K 31 contracts · 18 governments Records and document management $66K – $650K 87 contracts · 59 governments Sewer lining and rehabilitation $146K – $660K 67 contracts · 36 governments Water treatment chemicals $115K – $703K 69 contracts · 35 governments Pavement marking and striping $103K – $833K 136 contracts · 63 governments Guardrail $68K – $432K 30 contracts · 23 governments Bridge inspection $32K – $700K 17 contracts · 12 governments Sidewalk repair $150K – $1.02M 99 contracts · 50 governments Traffic signal maintenance $200K – $985K 32 contracts · 27 governments Artificial turf $214K – $714K 20 contracts · 12 governments Pools and aquatics $95K – $469K 21 contracts · 18 governments Irrigation $64K – $673K 139 contracts · 83 governments Landscaping and grounds $75K – $728K 290 contracts · 128 governments Elevator maintenance $115K – $500K 44 contracts · 34 governments Pest control $60K – $316K 47 contracts · 30 governments Portable sanitation $20K – $70K 9 contracts · 8 governments Uniforms $65K – $563K 205 contracts · 91 governments Printing services $97K – $700K 86 contracts · 49 governments Architectural services $152K – $1.02M 330 contracts · 109 governments Appraisal services $8K – $293K 116 contracts · 48 governments Temporary staffing $180K – $1.93M 65 contracts · 31 governments Lobbying and government relations $51K – $195K 39 contracts · 25 governments Substance abuse services $36K – $355K 78 contracts · 24 governments Senior meals $50K – $1.35M 21 contracts · 13 governments

These are contracts, not prices. They are not like for like: some cover ten years and a whole city, others a single unit added to something a government already owned, and a few are omnibus agreements that merely mention the item among others. Amendments are left out, because an amendment usually restates the value of the deal it changes and would count the same money twice. That is why the middle half is given rather than an average, and why every row links to the document it was read from — the range is the honest answer, and the source is how you check which end of it applies to you.

Want to know when this work goes back out to bid, not just what it went for? See contracts winding down

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