WM. PRESTON LANE, JR., GOVERNOR. 163

41. The City of Hagerstown shall have all the powers
necessary to administer and serve the various issues of
its bonded debt outstanding at the time of the adoption of
this Charter, and the City shall have the further power to
purchase retirement bonds of the City of Hagerstown at
market value and for not more than fair value.

42. The City of Hagerstown shall operate a central-,
ized purchasing system, headed by a City Purchasing
Agent. Materials and supplies of every kind, character
and description, including stationery and printed matter
needed or used by the several departments, boards, com-
missions, officers or other agencies of the municipal gov-
ernment (hereinafter designated as using authorities)
shall be purchased by said Central Purchasing Agent.

It shall be the duty of the Purchasing Agent, subject to
the approval of the Council, to prescribe rules and regula-
tions providing for the times when and the manner and
form in which estimates of the needs of using authorities
shall be submitted requisitions made and contracts entered
into.

Whenever possible the Purchasing Agent shall formulate
and make effective, subject to the approval of the Council,
standards of materials and supplies used by the using au-
thorities.

It shall also be the duty of the Purchasing Agent to
formulate and make effective, plans under which materials
and supplies shall be purchased in quantities sufficient for
the needs and uses of all the using authorities. Whenever
possible, estimates for materials and supplies furnished by
the using authorities shall be combined, and contracts
awarded under competitive bidding. It shall be the duty
of the using authorities and the City Purchasing Agent
to cooperate to the end that the municipal government may
obtain the advantages offered by cash discounts.

Any other material, supply or thing costing more than
Five Hundred Dollars ($500. 00), and for which there can
be no competitive bidding, shall be purchased by the City
Purchasing Agent as directed by the using authority, sub-
ject to the approval of the Council.

43. The City Purchasing Agent shall make an annual
report to the Council, together with such recommendations
as may seem advisable. The report shall give detailed
information relating to the purchases made for the using
authorities.