Treasurer of the County of Norfolk v. County Commissioners of Norfolk

In these actions the treasurer of Norfolk County (treasurer) challenges the legality of certain bills forwarded to him by the commissioners of Norfolk County (commissioners) on warrants for payment. The treasurer does so in the first case by seeking a declaratory judgment that a series of purchases from the codefendant, a vendor of chemical supplies,2 had been made in violation of the applicable competitive bidding statute. In the companion case, commenced by the commissioners to require the payment of bills submitted in behalf of five other claimants who were subsequently joined as parties…