County officials, or designated individuals, may attend a public auction to make purchases, which includes purchases more than the bidding requirement. Refer to Chapter Fourteen, “Disposing of Surplus Property,” for information on selling at a public auction.
19 O.S. § 339(A)(15)

The County Officer or Representative

A recommended best practice is for the county officer or representative to conduct an on-site inspection prior to the date of an auction to determine the maximum amount to be paid for each item for which they plan to bid.

The Requisitioning Officer

The requisitioning officer has the following responsibilities:
19 O.S. § 1501(A)

• Prepare SA&I Form No. 1116, Requisition - Purchase Order - Claim;
• Enter the type of auction in the “Suggested Vendors” box;
• Indicate that the material is to be picked up by the county in the “Shipped To” box;
• Describe the items to be purchased in the “Description” column;
• All items should be put on one Requisition - Purchase Order - Claim. Each item should be described as specifically as possible:
  19 O.S. § 1501(A)
  
  • Enter the maximum bid, if desired, to be made on each item described in the “Amt to Be Encumbered” column. Each item does not have to have an amount specified;
  • The Requisition - Purchase Order - Claim has a total maximum amount that cannot be exceeded.

Individuals Attending the Auction

Individuals attending the auction should do the following:

• Take a copy of the encumbered and certified purchase order to the auction for verification:
  • The individual should not make purchases for personal use at the same auction;
  • The maximum encumbrance cannot be exceeded.
• Follow the normal purchasing procedures as outlined in Chapter Four, “Purchasing Methods and Procedures.”