Competitive Bids Not Required
Attorney General Opinion 5599 of 1979 states that, in the absence of a statutory requirement, a municipality is not required to seek competitive bids before awarding a construction contract. However, municipal ordinances may require the use of competitive bidding procedures.

If it uses competitive bidding, a township board is not required to select the lowest bidder. Township boards may use a "qualifications based selection" approach to selecting consultants, including architects and engineers. QBS is a proven process in which a design professional is selected based on experience in an ability, not price, although price is an important factor in the process. The QBS Coalition was formed in response to Michigan House Concurrent Resolution No. 206 of June 1987, which urges state and local governments to select services of design professionals based on qualifications. The federal government has been selecting consultants this way since the 1972 enactment of Public Law 92-582, better known as the Brooks Selection Bill.