The Oklahoma Bar Journal October 2026

Do Not Try To Work Around the Act Courts strictly enforce the Public Competitive Bidding Act and look to substance over form. Practices like contract splitting, informal negotiations, or post-bid changes designed to avoid bidding requirements can void contracts and expose officials to criminal penalties. Municipalities have discretion to determine the “lowest respon sible bidder,” but that discretion must be exercised objectively, consistently, and with written justification. Undocumented or after-the-fact reasoning invites injunctions and litigation. Strong Contract Administration Protects Public Funds Enforce claim procedures, inspection requirements, certifica tions, retainage rules, and change order limits exactly as written. Courts will hold contractors to these requirements, and doing so prevents surprise claims, cost overruns, and audit issues. Ethics and Compliance Are Non-Negotiable Conflict disclosures, prohibi tions on financial interests, non- collusion affidavits, and restric tions on early bid disclosure are central to maintaining public trust. Violations can void contracts and lead to serious criminal conse quences, including felony liability and removal from office. Use Discretion Carefully and Transparently

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29. 61 O.S. §138. 30. 61 O.S. §115. 31. 61 O.S. §109. 32. 61 O.S. §110. 33. 61 O.S. §116(A). 34. 21 O.S. §20N(B)-(F). 35. 61 O.S. §119.1. 36. 61 OS §103(A).

Chase McBride is an Oklahoma attorney with a diverse practice. He earned his J.D. and M.B.A. from OU and a finance

37. Hannan v. Bd. of Education, 1909 OK 320. 38. J.D. Graham Constr., Inc. v. Pryor Pub. Sch. Indep. Sch. Dist. No. 1 , 1993 OK CIV APP 44 at ¶10. 39. Flynn Constr. Co. v. Leininger , 1927 OK 170 at ¶23. 40. Rollings Constr., Inc. v. Tulsa Metro. Water Auth ., 1987 OK 95 at ¶1. 41. Missouri Service Co. v. City of Stanberry, 341 Mo. 500, 108 S.W.2d 25 (1937). 42. 61 O.S. §117. 43. 61 OS §103(B). 44. Rollings Constr., Inc. v. Tulsa Metro. Water Auth. , 1987 OK 95. 45. 61 O.S. §119. 46. 61 O.S. §111. 47. 61 O.S. §113. 48. 61 O.S. §113. 49. Ark Wrecking Co. of Okla. v. Vargas Constr. Co. , 2016 OK CIV APP 67 at ¶12. 50. See Boren v. Thompson & Assocs. , 2000 OK 3 and Haskell Lemon Constr. Co. v. Indep. Sch. Dist. No. 12 of Edmond , 1979 OK 5. 55. 61 O.S. §113.3 56. 61 O.S. §124. 57. 61 O.S. §123. 58. 61 O.S. §121. 59. M. J. Lee Construction Co. v. Oklahoma Transportation Authority, 2005 OK 87. 60. 61 O.S. §108. 61. 61 O.S. §114. 62. 61 O.S. §115. and 21 O.S. §20N(B)-(F). 51. 61 O.S. §128. 52. 61 O.S. §135. 53. 61 O.S. §120. 54. 61 O.S. §113.1 – 133.2.

degree from TU. He holds certificates in law and entrepreneurship from the OU College of Law and sustainable investing from Harvard Business School. His practice focuses on the representation of individuals, businesses, public figures, and governmental entities throughout the state of Oklahoma . ENDNOTES 1. Rollings Constr., Inc. v. Tulsa Metro. Water Auth ., 1987 OK 95 at ¶8. 2. Flynn Constr. Co. v. Leininger , 1927 OK 170 at ¶23. 3. 61 O.S. §103(A). 4. 61 O.S. §103(A). 5. 61 OS §103(C)-(D). 6. United States Elevator Corp. v. City of Tulsa , 1980 OK 69. 7. 61 O.S. §133. 8. State ex rel. Bd. of Public Affairs v. Principal Funding Corp ., 1975 OK 144. 9. 61 O.S. §126. 10. 74 O.S. §85.7(A)(6)(a). 11. 61 O.S. §103.2. 12. 61 O.S. §103(G) and 61 O.S. 139. 13. 61 O.S. §118 and See Rollings Constr., Inc. v. Tulsa Metro. Water Auth. , 1987 OK 95 at ¶12. 14. United Benefit Life Ins., Co. v. Norman Lumber Co. , 1971 OK 52 at ¶3. 15. Carpet City v. Stillwater Mun. Hosp. Auth. , 1975 OK 75 at ¶27. 16. 61 O.S. §131. 17. 61 O.S. §104(2). 18. 61 O.S. §104(1). 19. 61 O.S. §105(1). 20. 61 O.S. §105(2). 21. 61 O.S. §105(3). 22. 61 O.S. §105(4). 23. 61 O.S. §105(5). 24. See Commer. Communs., Inc. v. State ex rel. Okla. Bd. of Pub. Affairs , 1980 OK 93. 25. 61 O.S. §116(B). 26. 61 O.S §106; See also 1983 OK AG 124 , Okla. Att’y Gen. Op. No. 83-124 (1983). 27. 61 O.S. §107. 28. 1983 OK AG 136, Okla. Att’y Gen. Op. No. 83-136 (1983).

63. 61 O.S. §130. 64. 61 O.S. §122. 65. 61 O.S. §112. 66. 61 O.S. §137.

Statements or opinions expressed in the Oklahoma Bar Journal are those of the authors and do not necessarily reflect those of the Oklahoma Bar Association, its officers, Board of Governors, Board of Editors or staff.

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THE OKLAHOMA BAR JOURNAL