About Purchasing

To ensure the most value for the taxpayer’s dollars by providing consistent, high-quality, and professional services that are timely, transparent, fair, and honest, while treating all parties with respect and dignity, and providing a high level of customer service.

Purchasing & Support Services (Purchasing) will act as honest brokers between the external marketplace and internal users to arrive at best-value procurement decisions while maintaining the highest ethical standards. Purchasing will honor and comply with all laws, rules, and policies governing the purchasing function. Purchasing will strive to develop quality-based partnerships with high-performing suppliers to ensure the most appropriate equipment, materials, supplies, and services are being purchased through valid, compliant, and competitive contracts. All members of Purchasing will work as a team in delivering the highest possible level of customer service.

The fundamental objectives of our purchasing program may be summarized as follows:

• Provide value-added service and support for our customers
• Procure materials and services at the lowest cost, consistent with quality, service, and other relevant factors
• Promote accessibility, open communications, and procurement opportunity
• Continuously evaluate and improve the quality of our service
• Provide procurement leadership in an era of continual change
• Create and preserve a work environment that promotes efficiency, employee competence, and commitment to our highest public purchasing values and goals
  
• Ensure a good return on investment of the public dollars entrusted to us
• Promote and support environmentally responsible policies
• Avoid duplication, waste, and obsolescence and maximize return on surplus property

• To regard public service as a sacred trust, giving primary consideration to the interest of the governmental unit by whom we are employed.
• To purchase the best value obtainable, securing the maximum benefit for each tax dollar expended.
• To avoid "sharp" practices, giving all qualified vendors an equal opportunity.
• To respect the obligations and to require that obligations to us and our governmental unit be respected.
• To accord vendor representatives the same treatment we should like to receive, remembering that they are important sources of information and assistance in our buying problems.
• To strive constantly for greater knowledge of purchasing methods and of the materials we buy.
• To be receptive to counsel from our colleagues and to cooperate with them to promote a spirit of unity.
• To conduct ourselves with fairness and dignity, and to demand honesty and truth in buying and selling.
• To cooperate with all organizations and individuals engaged in enhancing the development and standing of the Purchasing profession.
• To remember that everything we do reflects on the entire purchasing profession and to govern our every action accordingly.