2010 California Code
Government Code
Article 7. Purchasing Agents

25500.  The board of supervisors may employ a purchasing agent and
such assistants as are necessary for him properly to fulfill his
duties.


25501.  The purchasing agent may:
   (a) Purchase for the county and its offices all materials,
supplies, furnishings, equipment, livestock, and other personal
property.
   (b) Rent for the county and its offices furnishings, equipment,
and livestock.
   (c) Contract for services pursuant to this article and contract
for public works projects pursuant to Article 3.5 (commencing with
Section 20120) of Chapter 1 of Part 3 of Division 2 of the Public
Contract Code.
   The purchasing agent shall make purchases, rentals and contracts
only upon proper written requisition.
   For purposes of this article, the population of a county shall be
the most recent estimate determined by the Population Research Unit
of the Department of Finance.



25501.5.  The board of supervisors may authorize the destruction or
disposition of any written requisition received by the purchasing
agent which is more than three years old. Such requisitions need not
be photographed, reproduced, or microfilmed prior to destruction and
no copy thereof need be retained.


25502.  Whenever the board of supervisors employs a purchasing agent
it shall not be necessary for it to advertise for bids for
furnishing county supplies as required in Section 25480, with the
exception of advertising.


25502.3.  In counties having a population of less than 200,000, the
board of supervisors may authorize the purchasing agent to engage
independent contractors to perform services for the county or county
officers, with or without the furnishing of material, when the annual
aggregate cost does not exceed fifty thousand dollars ($50,000),
except that this amount shall be adjusted annually by any annual
increase in the California Consumer Price Index as determined
pursuant to Section 2212 of the Revenue and Taxation Code.



25502.5.  (a) In counties having a population of 200,000 or more,
the board of supervisors may authorize the purchasing agent to engage
independent contractors to perform services for the county or county
officers, with or without the furnishing of material, when the
annual aggregate cost does not exceed one hundred thousand dollars
($100,000).
   (b) The board of supervisors may establish rules and regulations
to effectuate the purposes of this section.



25502.6.  It is unlawful for the purchasing agent in any county
having a population of 900,000 or more to split or separate into
smaller work orders or projects any public work project for the
purpose of evading the provisions of this chapter or of any other law
requiring public work to be done by contract after competitive
bidding. Every purchasing agent who violates the provisions of this
section is guilty of a misdemeanor.



25502.7.  Notwithstanding the provisions of Sections 25502.3 and
25502.5, the board of supervisors may, whenever it has proclaimed a
local emergency pursuant to Section 8630, direct the purchasing agent
to engage independent contractors to perform services related to the
local emergency for the county and officers thereof, with or without
the furnishing of materials, within the amounts the board of
supervisors may establish.
   The board of supervisors may establish rules and regulations to
effectuate the purposes of this section. Those rules and regulations
shall include provisions for informal bidding procedures to the
extent that such procedures are feasible under emergency
circumstances.


25503.  When purchasing personal property for which it is not
necessary to advertise for bids, the board may authorize the county
purchasing agent by ordinance to solicit and accept advantageous
trade-in allowances for county personal property which has scrap
value of less than ten thousand dollars ($10,000) and which has been
previously determined by the purchasing agent to be not further
required for public use.



25504.  The county purchasing agent may by direct sale or otherwise
sell, lease, or dispose of any personal property belonging to the
county not required for public use, subject to such regulations as
may be provided by the board of supervisors. He shall pay the
proceeds into the county treasury for the use of the county. Where
the property is exchanged or traded in he shall secure its value in
behalf of the county.



25504.5.  The county purchasing agent, with the approval of the
board of supervisors, and after publishing notice of his or her
intended action pursuant to Section 6061, may, by direct sale or
otherwise, sell to a purchaser any personal property owned by or to
be owned by the county, provided the purchaser agrees to lease the
equipment back to the county for use by the county following the
sale. The approval by the board of supervisors of the sale and
leaseback shall be given only if the board of supervisors finds, by
resolution, that the sale and leaseback is the most economical means
for providing such personal property to the county.




25505.  Where specifically authorized by law the purchasing agent
may sell, lease, or dispose of the personal property of any special
district, and pay the proceeds into the treasury of the district, or,
if an exchange or trade-in is made, return the proceeds to the
special district.



25506.  Notices of sales shall be posted for not less than five
business days preceding the day of sale in the courthouse of the
county and in the office of the purchasing agent.



25507.  In the disposition of any personal property pursuant to this
article and upon approval by the board, the purchasing agent may
purchase advertising space and may advertise the proposed sale or
other disposition of the personal property in such newspapers,
magazines, and other periodicals as in his judgment will best
publicize the proposed sale or other disposition to those persons
most likely to bid for or purchase the personal property.
   Within the limits of the order of the board approving the
advertising, the purchasing agent shall decide upon the amount,
nature, make-up, and content of the advertising.



25508.  The board of supervisors may by ordinance establish rules
and regulations requiring the purchasing agent to obtain quotations
by the use of formal or informal bids, in connection with the
purchase of materials, supplies, furnishings, equipment, livestock
and other personal property which such purchasing agent is authorized
to purchase for the county and its offices. The purchasing agent
shall comply with such rules and regulations.



25508.8.  (a) The board of supervisors of any county may, by
resolution, authorize the purchasing agent to procure construction
materials pursuant to Section 25508 for the construction of
facilities to be utilized by a regional opportunity program.
   (b) A county shall be exempt from requirements of the Public
Contract Code with respect to the construction of a facility if the
majority of labor utilized for the construction of the facility
pursuant to subdivision (a) is provided by the regional opportunity
program or volunteer labor, the facility is to be constructed for use
by the regional opportunity program, and the land on which the
facility is to be constructed is currently used by a county jail.



25509.  In any county which employs a purchasing agent the board of
supervisors may by ordinance create and maintain a purchasing agent's
stores account for the purchase and maintenance of a stock of
general supplies and materials for the county. The board shall
determine the amount of said account and shall fix the same in the
ordinance creating the account; said ordinance shall also prescribe
the method of administration of the account and the manner of
accounting therefor. The board may also by ordinance authorize the
purchasing agent to establish a checking account in a bank for the
payment of miscellaneous and emergency purchases of services and
supplies by purchase order check not to exceed an amount fixed by
such ordinance. The procedures for the issuance of such purchase
order checks and the administration, including replenishment of such
account, shall be established by resolution of the board. Any loss,
not caused by negligence of any officer or employee of the county,
incurred by reason of the issuance of any check on such checking
account shall be charged against the general fund of the county. The
authority of this section shall be in addition to and not a
limitation upon any revolving fund of the purchasing agent otherwise
provided for by law.