(A) Purchasing agent. The City Administrator shall be the purchasing agent for the city, as provided in ILCS Ch. 65, Act 5, § 3.1-30-5. As purchasing agent, the City Administrator shall oversee the purchasing of goods and services by city employees, requiring that they follow good purchasing practices. The City Administrator shall have the authority to reject any and all requests or requisitions for the expenditure of funds unless the expenditures are required by law, or unless instructed by the City Council to proceed with an expenditure.
(B) Monitor of purchases. The City Administrator shall monitor all expenditures, bringing to the attention of the City Council any purchasing practices he or she or she feels are unethical, or could be considered a conflict of interest.
(C) Signature. A purchase order or contract shall be valid only when signed by the City Administrator who shall have determined that there are sufficient funds appropriated to cover such purchases.
(D) Approval. All purchases must be covered by a purchase order or by a contract, except those purchases under $10,000, which will require approval by the department head.
(E) Revise purchase orders. The City Administrator shall examine all purchase orders and he or she shall have the authority to revise purchase orders as to quantity or established cost after consulting with the department head.
(F) Interpretation. Questions of interpretation of these regulations or questions on procedures in purchasing not specifically stated herein, shall be referred to the City Administrator.
(G) State and federal laws. Except in cases where they are not as restrictive as the city's purchasing regulations, applicable state and federal laws shall supersede any regulations of the city concerning purchasing.
(1986 Code, § 6.5-1)
(H) Emergency. In the event of an emergency, the City Administrator shall have the authority to deviate from the purchasing/bidding requirements set forth in § 37.46, provided the City Administrator exercises proper care in obtaining the best possible price for the goods or services required by the city at such a time and taking into consideration the emergency conditions. In the event the City Administrator deems it necessary to deviate from the purchasing/bidding requirements set forth in § 37.46, the City Administrator shall notify the Mayor as soon as possible, document in writing the reasons for such action and present the written report to the City Council at the next special or regularly scheduled meeting of the City Council.
(Ord. 1992-21, passed 6-15-1992; Ord. 1994-25, passed 8-16-1994; Ord. 2008-15, passed 9-15-2008; Ord. 2021-21, passed 9-7-2021)