The Dallas City Council cast lots to decide between two tied bids during its briefing on Tuesday.
The briefing got off to a late start, not being called to order until 30 minutes after its scheduled time. Mayor Eric Johnson welcomed people back for the first council briefing following the March recess.
Johnson also noted the occurrence of Ramadan and the upcoming observations of Passover and Easter, explaining how the latter “celebrates the resurrection of Jesus.”
The council heard dozens of public comments regarding the regulation of short-term rentals before proceeding to the rest of the business on the agenda.
Once the public comment portion was finished and the council considered various board and commission appointments, the council members proceeded to the next agenda item — the casting of lots.
Conducted under the auspices of the Office of Procurement Services, the casting of lots is generally used to select between tied competing bids for a City contract.
On this occasion, lots were employed “to identify the recommended vendor resulting from tie bids between Colonial Hardware Corporation and Sid Tools Co.,” which is doing business as MSC Industrial Supply Co. The bids are “for a three-year master agreement for the purchase of hand and power tools and supplies.”
When the item came up, two sealed envelopes were produced by City staff, and Mayor Johnson randomly selected one without looking. Upon opening the envelope, he announced that Sid Tools had been drawn.
Having won the casting of lots, the company will now appear as the recommended vendor for the contract on a later City Council agenda for the final vote.
The “casting of lots” is a method of randomized selection used to ensure a fair or unbiased decision.
Most famously, the casting of lots is a prominent feature in several Biblical narratives, leading the phrase to become an English-language idiom during the 1500s.
After the crucifixion of Jesus, the Roman soldiers cast lots for his garments. When the disciples had to choose between two qualified candidates to replace Judas, lots were used to make the final determination.
Elsewhere in the Bible, lots are seen as a viable means of conflict resolution. Proverbs 18:18 reads, “Casting the lot settles disputes and keeps strong opponents apart.”
Although an ancient practice, casting lots at City Hall is not unheard of and has happened routinely over the past several years. The method was most recently used in April of last year to pick the recommended vendor for the purchase of original equipment manufacturer parts.
Prior to that, lots were used once in 2021, at least five times in 2019 (see here, here, here, here, and here), and several more times in 2018 (see here and here).
