Article 6. Purchase Of Personal Property of California Government Code >> Division 2. >> Title 3. >> Part 2. >> Chapter 5. >> Article 6.

In any county which does not employ a purchasing agent the board of supervisors shall annually or at such lesser intervals as it deems appropriate advertise for at least 10 days in a newspaper of general circulation in the county for sealed bids for furnishing the county with stationery, clothing, bedding, groceries, provisions, drugs, medicines, and all other supplies. If there is no newspaper published in the county, notices calling for bids shall be posted in three public places in the county. This section shall not apply to purchases or contracts for medical or surgical equipment or supplies, or for professional services, for a county hospital so long as an appropriation for the costs of such purchases or contracts is included in the county budget. As used in this section, "medical or surgical equipment or supplies" means only equipment or supplies commonly, necessarily, and directly used by or under the direction of a physician and surgeon in caring for or treating a patient in a hospital.

All bids shall be on a schedule prepared by the clerk of the board showing all articles needed in the several offices and departments and shall state separately the price of each article to be furnished. Any person may bid upon any article separately.

In considering the bids, the board may accept or reject all or any of them, or may accept or reject a part of any bid, preference being given, however, to the lowest responsible bidder.

All supplies furnished the county or any county officer shall be at a price no greater than is specified in the bid which is accepted by the board.

In any county which does not employ a purchasing agent, the board shall annually fix the price at which the county will be supplied with job printing and blank books, from a schedule prepared by the clerk of the board, showing all blanks and blank books used in the several offices and departments. The board shall also fix the price of all county advertising.

Each county officer shall procure blank books, job printing, and advertising required for the proper discharge of his official duties from any person or newspaper he designates, but at a price no greater than that fixed by the board of supervisors. He shall certify the bill therefor to the board.

Whenever the county advertises for bids for the furnishing of personal property, it may permit any person to submit at the time bids are received an offer of purchase of any county personal property designated in the notice and not further required for public use. It may permit or require the bidder to submit an offer of trade-in allowance. The offer of a bidder shall be considered in determining the lowest bid and is not binding upon him unless his bid is accepted. The county may reject all offers if it is to the advantage of the county to do so, and bidders will be bound by their bids.