By AP/KWMU
Jefferson City, MO – Contractors who do business with the state of Missouri will soon have to pay a $50 annual fee that will pay for e-mail notices of bidding opportunities.
The state has about 12,000 registered vendors. Office of Administration Commissioner Michael Keathley says the fee is projected to generate about a half-million dollars. Gov. Matt Blunt already has booked the money as part of his plan to balance the state budget.
Blunt has promoted a pro-business agenda as governor. But reaction to the fee is mixed in the business community. Some consider it no big deal, others say it seems counterproductive to economic development.