Agenda 1/26-1/27/17 Planning Retreat

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Definition Of Responsibilities The Purchasing Agent responsibilities: • To facilitate the involvement of local vendors in the County's purchasing policy. • Impartial judgments in the selection of vendors which are based on product quality, price, warranty, and performance and vendor delivery, service, and performance. • Complying with all County purchasing procedures and North Carolina General Statutes covering procurement and disposal. • Preparing formal bid packets and quotation requests. • Managing the formal bid process, including advertising for bids, notifying vendors, accepting bid proposals, opening bids, tabulating bids, and serving as the primary resource for questions from vendors. • Purchase review and final preparation of all purchase orders. • Maintaining adequate purchasing records, including a database of vendors established in an accessible vendor file. • Upon request, assist departments in locating the best source for supplies, materials, and equipment. • Assisting departments in conducting negotiations with vendors concerning prices, bids, terms, deliveries, and adjustments. • Maintaining a central file of contracts. • The Purchasing Agent will assist departments with the informal bid process. The Finance Officer responsibilities: Under the Local Government Budget and Fiscal Control Act, all contractual obligations must be supported by an appropriation that authorizes the expenditure. As required by General Statute 159-28(a), the Finance Officer will pre -audit all obligations of funds and execute the pre -audit certification. Department and employee responsibilities: • It is the responsibility of each department to requisition goods and services in such a way as to allow time for competitive bidding, ordering, and delivery of materials. Exceptions shall be made only on rare occasions, when a true emergency exists. • The department must obtain a completed W-9 (Request for Taxpayer Identification and Certification) from the vendor before an invoice or purchase order can be processed. • It is the responsibility of the department head or his designee, in consultation with the Purchasing Agent, to obtain these goods based upon competitive bids and to give consideration to product price, value, quality, performance, and delivery. • While the department head may delegate minor purchases to employees, he/she is still responsible for ensuring such purchases are made according to the provisions of this policy. • No department head or employee is authorized to make any commitment to any salesperson or firm that will bind the County in any way. During meetings with salespersons, no employee shall make any indication that he/she will recommend a particular product for purchase. • It is the responsibility of all Lee County employees to comply with all rules and regulations set forth herein. As directed by the County Manager, any employee deliberately violating the policy regarding unauthorized purchases shall be held personally accountable for the purchases. Violation of the purchasing policy may result in disciplinary action, up to and including dismissal. Lee County Purchasing and Contracting Policy Page 4 Amended October 19, 2009