Opinion ID: 852830
Heading Depth: 2
Heading Rank: 1

Heading: Public Purchasing

Text: The Public Purchasing laws include provisions addressing contracts by school corporations, and requiring, inter alia, that the contract be awarded to the lowest responsible and responsive bidder. [3] Ind.Code § 5-22-7-8 (2004). Only a citizen or a taxpayer of a municipality may challenge the award of a government contract under Indiana's Public Purchasing Statute. See All-Star Constr. & Excavating, Inc. v. Bd. of Pub. Works, 640 N.E.2d 369, 370 (Ind.1994); Shook Heavy & Envtl. Constr. Group v. City of Kokomo, 632 N.E.2d 355, 358 (Ind.1994). Natare is neither a citizen nor a taxpayer of Brownsburg, and therefore has no claim under that statute. However, this Court has observed that [o]ne need not be a citizen or a taxpayer of the municipality. . . to maintain an action for fraud or collusion in the award of a contract. Ind.Code § 24-1-2-7. All-Star, 640 N.E.2d at 370. Accord Shook, 632 N.E.2d at 358. The statutory reference is to the treble damages provision in the Indiana Antitrust Act.