The Director of Finance shall from time to time determine whether equipment, material or supplies are presently available so as to render unnecessary contemplated purchases of additional equipment, material or supplies. To enable him to perform this function, the Procurement Department shall submit to him every proposal for the purchase of equipment, material or supplies except any purchases involving an expenditure of less than such an amount as may be fixed from time to time by order of the Administrative Board. It shall not be lawful to invite bids for any purchase exceeding the exempted amount without first obtaining prior approval from the Director of Finance.

ANNOTATION

Sources: No specific source.

Purposes: Economies in the expenditure of City funds are often achieved if inventory records show that property requisitioned for purchase is presently available and unused by some other officer or agency. The purpose of this section is to provide a procedure whereby purchases above a certain amount may be so screened. It would be too great a burden on the Director of Finance to require him to screen every purchase and, therefore, the Administrative Board is designated as the agency to determine the amount above which purchases are to be screened.