(A) The City Manager shall be the contracting officer of the City, shall award and execute all contracts on behalf of the City, and shall report all expenditures to the Council.
(B) When any expenditure or contract is more than fifteen thousand dollars ($15,000.00) or the amount specified by the laws of Ohio, whichever is greater, for which work may be accomplished only after advertisement and bidding, such contract or expenditure shall first be authorized or directed by an ordinance or resolution passed by the Council and shall be advertised once a week for at least two weeks in a newspaper of general circulation in the City; provided the Council, by an ordinance or resolution adopted by a vote of at least two-thirds of its members, may authorize, without advertising and competitive bidding, contracts and expenditures for any purpose where the statutory or common law of Ohio does not require competitive bidding.
(C) When it becomes necessary to make alterations or modifications in connection with any work or improvements covered by contract, they shall be made only upon the order of the City Manager. No such order shall be effective until the price to be paid for the work or material, or both, under the altered or modified contract, shall have been agreed upon in writing and signed by the contractor and the City Manager on behalf of the City. Modifications or alterations in contracts shall not require advertising and competitive bidding.
(D) No contract, agreement or other contractual obligation involving the expenditure of money shall be entered into or authorized by the City Manager unless the Director of Finance or his or her duly authorized representative shall first certify:
1. That the money required for such contract, agreement, obligation or expenditure is in the City's treasury or in the process of collection thereto, and
2. That the money has been appropriated by Council for the purpose of the contract, which may be included in a general description of purpose, and it remains unencumbered.
The certification as to the availability of funds and the appropriation of funds shall be filed and recorded in the accounting records of the City and a copy furnished the vendor or contractor. Without the certification, contractual obligations shall be unenforceable against the City unless subsequently authorized by the Council by a majority vote of its members.
(E) The City Manager shall not divide any order or contract to avoid the requirements of competitive bidding.
(F) No contract, agreement or contractual obligation shall be entered into or authorized by any municipal authority until the same has been approved as to form by the Director of Law.
(Amended by electorate on 8-4-20)