Howard County                                  2793

Local Bidder—means a firm or individual who regularly maintains
a place of business in, or maintains an inventory of merchandise for
sale in, or is licensed by, or pays business taxes to the County.

Capital Improvement—means any public improvement undertaken by
the County, including the construction or re-construction in whole or in
part of any road, bridge, street, building or water, sewer or storm water
facility or any similar physical structure or facility necessary in carrying
out the activities of the County government.

Contractual Services—means any and all types of services required
by the County but not furnished by its own employees except professional
services and such services which are in their nature unusual and unique
and not subject to competitive bidding; contractual services shall not
include capital improvements.

Deputy Purchasing Agent—means an employee of the County formal-
ly designated by the purchasing agent to serve as deputy purchasing agent
and may be fully empowered to act as purchasing agent for such periods
or under such circumstances as the purchasing agent shall determine.

Professional Services—means the services of attorneys, physicians,
architects, engineers, consultants or other individuals or organizations
whose services by their nature are unique and not subject to competitive
bidding.

Supplies, Materials and Equipment means any and all articles or things
which shall be furnished to or used by any agency, including any and
all printing, binding, or publication of stationery, forms, laws, journals,
and reports, but excluding services or materials furnished "in kind" in
lieu of cash to indigents; supplies, materials and equipment means and
includes all tangible commodities purchased by the County except real prop-
erty. WHERE THE WORD "SUPPLIES" IS USED IN THIS SUBTITLE
IT SHALL MEAN AND INCLUDE SUPPLIES, MATERIALS AND
EQUIPMENT.

Using Agency or Agency—means any department, agency, commission,
bureau, board, or other unit in the County government or other agency
using supplies or procuring contractual services paid in whole or in
part by County funds and shall include such departments and agencies
created by or operating under the Public General Laws of the State
to the extent that the provisions of this subtitle may apply to them
by law or to the extent that such departments and agencies request
the provisions of this subtitle to apply to them.

4.103—Powers and Duties of County Purchasing Agent

The County Administrator or the Deputy Purchasing Agent, shall
have the powers and duties prescribed by the Howard County Charter
and this Act to:

(1)    Purchase or contract for all supplies, material, equipment and
contractual services required by using agencies in accordance with the
purchasing procedures prescribed by this Act, the Howard County Charter,
and such rules and regulations as may be adopted for the internal man-
agement of the purchasing function.

(2)    Cause using agencies to advise him in advance as to their re-
quirements in order to secure quantity discounts by the grouping of re-
quisitions and bulk buying whenever practical.