A new lawsuit against the city of Augusta raises allegations that public funds are being wasted.

The Association for Fair Business and activist Woody Merry filed the Richmond County Superior Court lawsuit Monday over the award of two contracts for goods and services.

A lawsuit represents only one side of a dispute. The city will have 30 days to respond.

The lawsuit seeks a court order to void a $68,000 contract with Acsential Technologies to produce a newsletter for the city's utilities department, and a second $124,000 contract with TCA Electrical to replace lighting and signs on a Daniel Field Airport runway.

The association complains that Acsential Technologies was given a higher evaluation score by the city's procurement department based on its claim in its bid package that it would subcontract with minority-owned businesses. The signed contract, however, shows Acsential subcontracting with a business that is not minority-owned, according to the lawsuit.

Acsential won the contract in 2006, and it was renewed this year.

The lawsuit alleges the substitution of subcontractors gave Acsential an unfair advantage and the contract should be terminated.

The contract for lights and signs at the airport was awarded in September to TCA Electrical, which provided the lowest bid for the project.

TCA's bid documents were notarized July 30. The city's procurement department date-stamped TCA's bid package as being received July 27.

"Defendant either incorrectly 'date stamped' the receipt of TCA's package or TCA illegally notarized the bid documents. Both parties failed to act in good faith," the lawsuit alleges.

TCA also did not include a signed subcontractor affidavit pledging to abide by state and national labor and immigration laws, according to the lawsuit. The document is required by state law.

The lawsuit seeks the termination of these two contracts, and attorney fees.

No hearing date has been set.