Walton County – 06/10/26 – The Walton County Board of County Commissioners opened their regular board meeting by recognizing some dedicated staff members from the County’s Central Purchasing Department. Chief Financial Officer Melissa Thomason explained that “Walton County was named a 2026 OpenGov High-Performance Government Award winner, recognized for achieving more than 20% cost savings in key bids through increased vendor participation and streamlined procurement operation.”

The award, presented at OpenGov’s annual conference in Chicago, “recognizes the County’s Central Purchasing Department for modernizing its procurement processes in ways that directly benefit taxpayers, delivering competitive pricing, greater vendor access, and more transparent public purchasing,” said Ms. Thomason. 

She emphasized the important of this recognition, noting that one in three requests for government information in the United States goes through the OpenGov platform. “So, this was a competitive award, and we are just so proud that they were able to achieve this,” she said.

Purchasing Director Jason Cutshaw, joined by Procurement Analyst Jordan Lee and Procurement Manager Meghan Brown, said, “This was a County award. It’s more than just us, it’s my team. Jordan and Meghan were key. They logged a lot of time in setting it up and implementing it.” Director Cutshaw went on to credit Administration members and end user departments – Engineering, Public Works, TDC and others.

“We appreciate your support,” said Cutshaw. “Your confidence in us really made a big difference and we really appreciate it.”

The achievement reflects more than two years of work and the collective commitment of departments across Walton County. While Central Purchasing led the effort, the results were made possible by the support and buy-in of the Administration Department, the Office of Management and Budget, as well at the county’s Legal Department, all of whom embraced a more digital and efficient approach to government operations.