(A) The Manager shall be the contracting officer of the Municipality. The Manager may authorize an administrative officer or employee of the Municipality to act as a purchasing agent and to award contracts that do not exceed an amount established by ordinance or resolution, but the Manager shall remain responsible for the supervision and direction of the purchasing agent.
(B) The Council shall establish, by ordinance or resolution, an amount at which competitive bidding shall be required and the procedure to be followed in the competitive bidding process. No expenditure of funds by the Municipality in excess of such amount shall be authorized unless the requirements established in such ordinance or resolution have been met; except that contracts for the following may be awarded without competitive bidding, if approved by a motion adopted by the Council by a majority vote of its members:
(1) The purchase or lease of real property or interests in real property;
(2) To secure professional services of attorneys, engineers, architects and other professional consultants;
(3) Where competition is not practicable;
(4) In the case of a real and present emergency;
(5) To purchase goods, services, or materials from another governmental agency or unit, whether at the local, state, or federal level of government; or
(6) To purchase or lease used equipment or material where the vendor thereof offers such equipment or material by the invitation of written bids or by auction.
(C) Contracts awarded after competitive bidding shall be awarded to the lowest and best bidder, as determined by the Manager. All bids may be rejected by the Manager. No officer or employee of the Municipality shall divide any order or contract to avoid the requirement of competitive bidding. When it becomes necessary to make alterations or modifications in connection with any work, services, or improvements covered by a contract awarded by competitive bidding, such modifications or alterations shall first be authorized in written order signed by the Manager, and no such order shall be effective until the price to be paid for the work, services, material, supplies, or equipment has been agreed upon in writing and signed by the contractor and the Manager.
(D) No contract, agreement, or other contractual obligation involving the expenditure of money shall be entered into or authorized unless the Fiscal Officer or authorized representative of the Fiscal Officer shall first certify:
(1) That the money required for such contract, agreement, obligation or expenditure is in the Municipality’s treasury or in the process of collection; and
(2) That the money has been appropriated by Council for the specified purpose, and it remains unencumbered.
(E) Said certification as to the availability and the appropriation of funds shall be filed and recorded in the accounting records of the Municipality, and a copy furnished the vendor or contractor. Without the certification, contractual obligations shall be void and unenforceable against the Municipality unless the Council shall authorize its payment as a moral obligation by the passage of an ordinance or resolution.
(F) The Manager may adopt administrative rules concerning the procedures to be followed in regard to the awarding of contracts. Such rules shall be consistent with this Charter and the ordinances and resolutions of the Municipality.