Arizona Official Questions States Blind Vending Program

LAKE HAVASU CITY, AZ -- Arizona's Business Enterprise Program, which awards vending contracts in public buildings to blind entrepreneurs, is under scrutiny by Mohave County Supervisor Buster Johnson.

Blind vendors licensed by the state are allowed to run their businesses by hiring sighted employees or subcontracting work to other vending businesses, which Johnson says leaves potential for abuse of the system by giving those vendors an unfair advantage.

The issue came to the forefront when Mohave County's vending contract was up for renewal earlier this month, according to Today's News-Herald. The county's operator died and a replacement is reportedly not available to take over the business. Meanwhile, the state has been overseeing the work of the subcontractor that had been providing the vending services to the blind business owner.

The contract under consideration reportedly covers the services for 31 vending machines in 13 county buildings and would last until 2030.

Taking issue with the mandate by federal and state law to contract only with licensed blind vendors for service, Johnson asked staff to explore whether it was possible for the county to put the services up for bid and to encourage lawmakers and the governor to examine how the program works.

Other counties' supervisors are rallying behind Johnson, according to the Today's News-Herald article. They say the county should be able to seek competitive bids from other vending operators while still giving blind vendors priority by allowing them to match the proposals

. The Arizona Department of Economic Security operates the Business Enterprise Program, which also covers snack bars and some restaurant services at state and federal buildings. It reportedly generated more than $15 million in gross sales in 2013 and contracts with 28 businesses across the state.