23-3108.

Purchases; how made.

(1) Except as provided in section 23-3109, purchases of personal property or services by the county board or purchasing agent shall be made:

(a) Through the competitive sealed bidding process prescribed in section 23-3111 if the estimated value of the purchase is:

(i) Before January 1, 2025, fifty thousand dollars or more;

(ii) Beginning January 1, 2025, and before January 1, 2029, seventy thousand dollars or more;

(iii) Beginning January 1, 2029, and before January 1, 2034, ninety thousand dollars or more; and

(iv) Beginning January 1, 2034, one hundred ten thousand dollars or more;

(b) By securing and recording at least three informal bids, if practicable, if the estimated value of the purchase is equal to or exceeds:

(i) Before January 1, 2025, ten thousand dollars, but is less than fifty thousand dollars;

(ii) Beginning January 1, 2025, and before January 1, 2029, fifteen thousand dollars, but is less than seventy thousand dollars;

(iii) Beginning January 1, 2029, and before January 1, 2034, twenty thousand dollars, but is less than ninety thousand dollars; and

(iv) Beginning January 1, 2034, twenty-five thousand dollars, but is less than one hundred and ten thousand dollars; or

(c) By purchasing in the open market, subject to section 23-3112, if the estimated value of the purchase is:

(i) Before January 1, 2025, less than ten thousand dollars;

(ii) Beginning January 1, 2025, and before January 1, 2029, less than fifteen thousand dollars;

(iii) Beginning January 1, 2029, and before January 1, 2034, less than twenty thousand dollars; and

(iv) Beginning January 1, 2034, less than twenty-five thousand dollars.

(2) In any county having a population of less than one hundred thousand inhabitants and in which the county board has not appointed a purchasing agent pursuant to section 23-3105, all elected officials are hereby authorized to make purchases with an estimated value as prescribed in subdivision (1)(c) of this section.

(3) In no case shall a purchase made pursuant to subdivision (1)(a), (b), or (c) of this section be divided to produce several purchases which are of an estimated value below that established in the relevant subdivision.

(4) All contracts and leases shall be approved as to form by the county attorney, and a copy of each long-term contract or lease shall be filed with the county clerk.