This paper examines the impact of a new political party's arrival in local power on public procurement and municipal performance in Colombia. Using a regression discontinuity design based on close elections from 2011 to 2019, I find an increase in the hiring rates of new discretionary public personnel through temporary contracts. The magnitude of this effect varies according to the level of poverty. Additionally, contractor wages face an adverse effect, particularly for those employed within the previous government. These findings highlight the excessive use of discretionary contracting practices and their effect on the quality of jobs. However, there are no effects on the short-term's municipal performance.
