2114                              MUNICIPAL CHARTERS

be issued on a serial maturity plan providing for the maturity of the series
in consecutive annual installments, no one of which shall be less than
fifty percent of the amount of any other installment of the series; and the
last installment of the series shall become due not later than thirty years
after the date of issuance. If at any time the Council shall have failed to
appropriate and to make available sufficient funds to provide for the
timely payment of the interest and principal then due upon all County
indebtedness, it shall be the duty of the Director of Finance to pay, or to
make available for payment, to the holders of such indebtedness from the
first revenues thereafter received applicable to the General funds of the
County, a sum equal to such interest and principal.

Section 313. Purchasing

The Council shall prescribe by law a centralized system of purchasing
and contracting for all goods and services used by the County. The cen-
tralized purchasing system shall be administered under the professional
supervision of the Chief Administrative Officer subject to the direction
of the County Executive.

Section 314. Competitive Bidding

The Council shall prescribe by law for competitive bidding for any
single purchase by, or contract with, the County of three thousand
dollars or more, except contracts of professional services customarily
negotiated.

Section 315. Audit

The Council shall contract with, or otherwise employ, a certified pub-
lic accountant to make annually an independent post audit of all financial
records and actions of the County, its officials and employees. The com-
plete report of the audit shall be presented to the Council and copies of it
shall be made available to the public.

Section 316. Public Access to Fiscal Documents

All fiscal documents required by this Charter shall be public records,
and copies shall be made available to the public. Any estimates, reports,
or justifications on which they are based shall be open to public inspection
subject to reasonable regulations.

Article 4. Merit System and
Conflicts of Interest

Section 401. Merit System

The Council shall prescribe by law a merit system for all officers
and employees of the County government except members of the Council,
the County Executive, the Chief Administrative Officer, the County Attor-
ney, the heads of the several departments, special legal counsel employed
pursuant to this Charter, and members of boards and commissions and
other officers authorized by law to be appointed to serve in a quasi-
judicial capacity. Salaries and wages of all classified employees in the
merit system shall be determined pursuant to a uniform salary plan.

Section 402. Personnel Administration

Subject to the laws and regulations of the merit system, the Chief
Administrative Officer, under the direction of the County Executive, shall
be responsible for administering the County's merit system.