The county’s controversial legal spending was the elephant in the room Tuesday as a joint citizen-county committee met for a second time to discuss tightening the county’s purchasing policy. The committee is considering amending the policy to subject professional services to the same standard as other goods and services, requiring competitive bids for services valued at more than a certain dollar amount. The committee includes of Commissioners Levie Maddox and Nancy Schulz; County Manager Tom Garrett; Finance Director Michelle Kelly; Purchasing Coordinator Mary Ann Patterson; and local