Purchasing pool would have cost more Annapolis (December 31, 2008) - County Executive John R. Leopold saved taxpayers $684,249 over the last three months by opting to buy fuel on the spot market instead of joining other jurisdictions in a purchasing pool. Some jurisdictions pool together to get the best prices, but Anne Arundel County decided the spot market would yield better prices. The group of fixed contract counties, which includes Harford, Howard, Baltimore and Carroll, paid $2.95 per gallon for gasoline on December 18, for example. On the same date, Anne Arundel paid $1.40 per gallon. "This Administration is committed to saving taxpayers’ money, and sometimes that comes through creativity or doing something different than our neighbors are doing," County Executive Leopold said. "These are difficult fiscal times, and every cent counts." Since October, the County has purchased 172,000 gallons of diesel fuel and 391,000 gallons of gasoline. | 
