N.Y. Alternative County Government Law § 401: Powers and duties

§ 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.