Section 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.