Technology chief Larry Singer leaving state agency

ATLANTA - Larry Singer, who as head of the Georgia Technology Authority set up bidding for the state&#39;s largest-ever contract, is leaving the job Dec. 9. <br> <br> Singer said Monday that he will not apply to retain his post under the administration of Gov.-elect Sonny Perdue. <br> <br> Bidding ended Nov. 15 for the $1.87 billion contract to run the state&#39;s telecommunications everything from police radios to school Internet connections. <br> <br> The contract is to be awarded in April to one of two consortiums. <br> <br> Singer, who makes $167,000 a year as a state employee, is returning to the $250,000 a year consulting job he held before accepting Gov. Roy Barnes&#39; offer to head GTA. He will be president of Public Interest Breakthroughs, which he started to help states better use information technology. <br> <br> Perdue has indicated that he plans to move ahead with the giant telecom contract. The administration looks ``forward to Mr. Singer&#39;s continued counsel,&#39;&#39; Perdue spokesman Dan McLagan said. <br> <br> Singer came to Georgia in mid-2000 in a Public Interest Breakthroughs contract with the Department of Human Resources. Barnes ushered through legislation creating the GTA, which oversees state technology planning and spending for almost every state government function. <br> <br> Singer&#39;s far-reaching plans irritated some lawmakers, state employees and other agency heads, who claimed he tread on their turf. <br> <br> The contract designed to put the state&#39;s telecommunications in private-sector hands has been two years in the making. WorldCom was an initial bidder, but financial and legal troubles knocked it out of the running. GTA had to take new bids. <br> <br> A team of BellSouth, AT&T and the technology consulting firm EDS submitted one bid. The other was by IBM, with telecom company Sprint as a subcontractor.

http://accesswdun.com/article/2002/11/187274