Northampton County is currently undergoing a long overdue pay study. In March, County Council voted 8-0 to award $64,000 contract to Bolton Partners, which specializes in compensation consulting, for nonunion positions. A disappointed bidder, Morganfruh Enterprises, has filed suit against county, seeking $128,348.00. The complaint, filed pro se by Mark Morganfruh, asserts that an unnamed County Council member egged him on. He adds that Council Solicitor Chris Spadoni encouraged him to sue.
Generally speaking, courts are leery of lawsuits filed by disappointed bidders. NorCo Assistant Solicitor Rich Santee has filed "preliminary objections," which basically is a request to have the case tossed.
Although County Council and Executive Lamont McClure are at loggerheads on many issues, I would hope that no Council member or Spadoni would actually pour gasoline on this fire with disappointed bidders looking for an excuse to sue. This only costs the county money and diverts county lawyers from more productive work.
Sometimes people hear what they want to hear. I think that's what happened here. In 2019, Morgenfruh lost a federal lawsuit claiming employment discrimination.
