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Spending

The budget has been proposed and approved and the library has received its funding. Now the money must be spent. As expressed by the MRSC in their online publication, Purchasing and Bidding: Definitions, Exemptions and Auctions, “Units of local government in Washington must accomplish projects and purchase goods and services in the course of doing business. Statutes governing purchasing are intended to insure that quality projects, goods and services are purchased at the least cost. Other goals are to reduce, if not eliminate, the impact of favoritism and cronyism in purchasing and to prevent fraud.”

This may seem daunting, but help is available. MRSC makes it (relatively) easy with a wide range of free online resources including:

• Purchasing and Bidding for Washington State Local Governments;
• The Bidding Book for Washington Cities and Towns;
• The Bidding Book for Washington Counties;
• Purchases through Interlocal Agreements checklist;
• Purchasing and Bidding: Reference Sources;
• Purchasing in Washington Counties flowchart created by the County Road Administration Board (CRAB);
• Purchasing, Bidding, and Contract Management Sourcebook;
• Agency Bid Limits Summary.

Another useful resource may be found in the Public Library Policies page on the WebJunction Washington website, which provides examples of policies relating to purchasing, credit card use, and more.