Effective - 28 Aug 2005
50.780. Commissions may permit officers to purchase supplies direct — liability therefor — preference in bids — waiver, when (second class and certain first class counties). — 1. It shall hereafter be unlawful for any county or township officer in any county to which sections 50.760 to 50.790 apply to purchase any supplies not contracted for as provided in sections 50.760 to 50.790 for the officer's official use and for which payment is by law required to be made by the county unless the officer shall first apply to and obtain from the county commission an order in writing and under the official seal of the commission for the purchase of such supplies, and in all cases where the supplies requested by such officer have been contracted for by the county commission as provided in sections 50.760 to 50.790, the order shall be in the form of a requisition by said officer addressed to the person, firm, company or corporation with whom or which the county commission has made a contract for such supplies, and presented to the county commission for approval or disapproval; and unless approval be given such requisition shall not be filled and any such requisition filled without such approval shall not be paid for out of county funds. The county shall not be liable for any debts for supplies except debts contracted as provided in sections 50.760 to 50.790. The best price and the quality of supplies shall be considered and supplies of a higher price or quality than is reasonably required for the purposes to which they are to be applied shall not be purchased or contracted for. Preference to merchants and dealers within their counties may be given by such commissioners, provided the price offered is not above that offered elsewhere.
2. The county commission may waive the requirement of competitive bids or proposals for supplies when the county commission has determined that there exists a threat to life, property, public health, or public safety or when immediate expenditure is necessary for repairs to county property in order to protect against further loss of, or damage to, county property, to prevent or minimize serious disruption in county services or to ensure the integrity of county records. Emergency procurements shall be made with as much competition as is practicable under the circumstances. After an emergency procurement is made by the county commission, the nature of the emergency and the vote approving the procurement shall be noted in the minutes of the next regularly scheduled meeting.
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(RSMo 1939 § 2515, A.L. 2005 H.B. 58)