Expenses have skyrocketed over the last two years

This question is submitted by Thomas R. out of Florida

Our COA expenses - in addition to insurance - have been skyrocketing during the past two years. Our Board has also given our maintenance staff increases of 20% during the past two years.

I understand the Florida Statute requires associations to get competitive bids from vendors whose costs exceed 5% of the total expense budget. We see three companies that should be vetted, but the board is simply not interested in cutting costs. Any suggestions on how to motivate the board to get competitive quotes?

Thoughts?