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CONTRACT ADMINISTRATION POLICY PURPOSE tt is the purpose of this Policy to create and maintain an efficient and uniform process in the administration of contracts that is consistent with the stewardship and objectives of Cabarrus County pursuant to the current Purchasing Policy; and, that provides the County with the most proficient product and/or service provider. It will also be the intent of the County to consolidate contracts when appropriate in order to reduce paper flow and administrative costs. OVERVW~W The County enters into many various contracts. Developing a system to organize all contracts is a difficult task; however, there are several general rules that should be followed: The Department Head, County Manager or Chairman of the Board of Commissioners should sign contracts according to levels defined. (County Manager may assign some contract signing authority) If a contract is in writing, an original should be kept in the contract file (in the Purchasing Agent's Office) If the contract causes the County to spend money, it should be pre-audited and encumbered. G.S. 159-28 (a) states that if an obligation is evidenced by a contract or agreement requiring payment of money, the contract or agreement shall include on its face a certificate stating that the instrument has been pre-audited. The certificate, which shall be signed by the finance officer or.any deputy finance officer approved for this purpose by the governing board, shall take substantially the following form: "This instrument has been pre-audited in the manner required by the Local Government Budget and Fiscal Control Act. ~ G.S. 159-28 (a) also states that an obligation incurred in violation of this subsection is invalid and may not be enforced and the finance officer shall establish procedures to assure compliance with this subsection. Although not all contracts obligate the County to make a payment of money, it is nevertheless important to have a system that organizes and catalogs all contracts involving the County. CONTRACT PROCEDURES The Contract Administrator (appointed by the Finance Director) shall maintain all original contracts. The Contract Administrator will assign each new contract a Contract Control Number.