§ 401. Powers and duties. The county purchasing agent except in a
county having adopted the county administrator form of county
government:

1. Shall, within the amount of the unencumbered balance provided by
appropriation therefor, make all purchases and contracts for the various
administrative units, officers and other officials paid from county
funds, institutions and other agencies of the county, except the
purchase of real estate, and may also make purchases for units of local
government of the county if authorized by local law and by appropriate
action by the governing board or body of the unit of local government
affected.

2. May with the approval of the county executive, transfer supplies,
materials, equipment and other articles from one administrative unit of
the county to another.

3. May with the approval of the county executive, sell, trade in and
exchange supplies, materials, equipment and other articles of the
county.

4. May with the approval of the county executive, establish suitable
specifications and standards for all supplies, materials, equipment and
other articles which the county purchases, and may inspect deliveries of
all such materials, equipment and other articles to determine their
compliance with such specifications and standards.

5. Shall let only after public advertisement and competitive bidding
every purchase or contract in an amount exceeding one thousand dollars
under rules and regulations to be established by local law except that
he may make any such purchase or contract without public advertisement
or competitive bidding: (a) when, by resolution duly adopted by a
two-thirds vote of the whole number of the members of the board of
supervisors, it is determined to be impracticable to advertise for such
bids or that a public emergency exists requiring immediate action; (b)
when the heating, ventilating, lighting, plumbing, air conditioning,
water, gas, sewerage or other operation functions, or the machinery,
apparatus or equipment of any of the public buildings of the county
shall become disabled, or any of the said buildings or parts thereof
shall be rendered unusable by reason of the sudden action of the
elements or any other unusual cause, and the county executive shall
certify in writing to the county purchasing agent such emergency and the
necessity of immediate repair of such defects, or (c) whenever the
machinery, apparatus or equipment of any kind for the upkeep of highways
becomes disabled or worn and the county executive shall certify in
writing to the necessity of purchases of new parts for repairs to the
same.

6. Shall not furnish any supplies, materials, equipment or other
articles to any county-using agency, except upon receipt of a
requisition approved by the head of such county-using agency, and unless
there be an unencumbered balance of appropriation available for payment
of the same.

7. Shall advertise for such bids when so required for at least three
consecutive days in an official newspaper of the county and let the
contract to the lowest responsible bidder who in the opinion of the
county purchasing agent is able to supply the items to be purchased to
the best interest of the county.

8. Shall, upon dates to be fixed by the board of supervisors and
covering periods to be specified by it, furnish to the director of
finance and to the clerk of the board of supervisors verified statements
of all purchases together with the quantity and price and shall furnish
to the board of supervisors such additional statement as the board of
supervisors shall direct.

9. Shall perform such additional and related duties as may be
delegated to him by county act.