PURCHASING & FACILITY SERVICES


Goals

The goals of the Purchasing Department include the following:
  • Purchase of quality goods and services.
  • Obtain the best possible price for goods and services.
  • Delivery of goods and services when and where needed.
Additionally, we are committed to ensuring that:
  • Responsible bidders are given a fair opportunity to compete for the City's business. This is done through statutory requirements for competitive bids and proposals as well as the City's monetary and purchasing guidelines.
  • Public funds are safeguarded. Although the Purchasing Department does not usually designate the types of purchases to be made, we should see that the best value is received for the public dollar.
  • We are interested in obtaining good response to our bids and inquiries. We welcome your input regarding bid response times, changes in specifications, and any other suggestions that might improve competition on our bids and proposals.


Responsibilities

  • Assist in the selection of responsible vendors.
  • Assist in obtaining pricing information.
  • Determine purchase price is reasonable and requirements for competition and performance have been met.
  • Assist individual departments to develop quality specifications for goods and services to be purchased along with required delivery schedules.
  • Encourage competition between vendors through the competitive bidding process.
  • Utilize annual supply agreements whenever possible in order to maximize buying advantages and economies of scale.
  • Continuously monitor requisitions by all departments to facilitate consolidations of purchases where possible.
  • Explore the use of cooperative purchasing programs through the State of Texas and other local government agencies.


PROCUREMENT ETHICS
Statement of Purchasing Policy

Public employment is a public trust.  Public employees must discharge their duties impartially so as to assure fair, competitive access to governmental procurement by responsible contractors. Moreover, they should conduct themselves in such a manner as to foster public confidence in the integrity of the City's purchasing function.

To achieve the purpose of this section, it is essential that vendors conducting business with the City also observe the ethical standards prescribed herein.

General Ethical Standards (Chapter 2, Code of Ethics, Article II of the City Code)