A year after Mercer County contracted out janitorial services in a cost saving effort, commissioners Thursday voted to seek bids for the coming year's contract.

Commissioners voted to advertise for bids to clean five county buildings. William Boyle, purchasing, personnel, and maintenance director, said the specifications will ask cleaning companies to bid for four of the buildings with an option of adding the courthouse. The specifications also asked for bids for one year of cleaning service with an option of bidding on a three-year agreement, Boyle said.

The current contract with Imperial Services, Youngstown, will expire Feb. 28.

The county hired Imperial a year ago to clean the North Annex, South Annex, and Emergency 911 Center, all in Mercer, and the Albert E. Acker Building in Jefferson Township, for $3,344 a month. The work was previously done by county employees.

County custodians, who are members of United Steelworkers of America Local 1355, provided janitorial services in the courthouse.

When they chose Imperial commissioners passed over bids from the union local and from Mercer County Association for Retarded Inc.

The outsourcing of janitorial services was expected to save the county $60,000 last year. The outsourcing saved close to that amount, Boyle said, but he didn't have an exact figure readily available.

Boyle said the county was "basically satisfied" with Imperial Services. Staff in the four office buildings periodically rated the quality of janitorial services, he said. Any problems were discussed with the contractor's regional manager, Boyle said.