HERBERT R. O'CONOR, GOVERNOR. 897

missioners, and if it is in excess of Five Hundred
($500. 00) Dollars the same must be submitted to competi-
tive bidding under specifications prepared by said Engineer,
approved by said County Commissioners, and the contract
awarded to the lowest responsible bidder.

Whenever, in the judgment of the County Commissioners;
and the Roads Engineer, it shall be deemed advantageous,
to award a contract to an independent contractor for the
construction, reconstruction or repair of any road or bridge
in Harford County, the plans and specifications therefor
shall be prepared by the said Engineer, approved by the
County Commissioners, and advertised in one or more of
the County newspapers for at least two successive weeks
and such contract awarded to the lowest responsible bidder.

447. The County Commissioners are authorized and
empowered to purchase the ground necessary therefor and
to erect one or more buildings in Harford County for the
purpose of housing and repairing the machinery owned by
the County, or to purchase land with buildings already
thereon. In erecting or acquiring these buildings the
said Commissioners shall not consider district lines but
shall locate them so as best to serve the needs of the County
as a whole.

448. The said Roads Engineer shall immediately upon
assuming the duties of his office, make an inventory of
all of the machinery and equipment belonging to the County
used for road or bridge work, and recommend to the
County Commissioners which part of it should be retained
and which disposed of, and he shall also recommend to the
said Commissioners what, if any, additional machinery
and equipment should be acquired for the purpose of
profitably and economically carrying out the purposes of
this Act; and the County Commissioners shall accept and
approve the recommendations of the said Engineer, except
for good cause shown in writing by them, to be spread
upon the minutes of the said Commissioners.

The said Roads Engineer shall also immediately make
arrangements for the purchase, at wholesale, whenever
feasible, all materials, equipment and supplies of every
kind, including that used for the operation and mainte-
nance of all machinery, necessary to be used by the County
under the provisions of this Act, and plans and specifica-
tions for the purchase thereof shall be prepared and bids
submitted in the same manner as is provided in the preced-
ing section.

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