# Section 300 – Procurement Published by the Baltimore City Department of Legislative Reference. ## Policy AM-301-1 Purchasing Balt., Md., Admin. Manual AM-301-1 (2026) scope City agencies must make every effort to gain the maximum benefits of a centralized purchasing system and competitive bidding. All materials, supplies, equipment, and services used by agencies, with the exception of professional services and public works (i.e., construction), must be obtained through the Bureau of Purchases. Professional services may be procured through the Board of Estimates with the assistance of the Law Department; public works (i.e., construction) may be procured through the Department of Public Works. procurement-through-the-bureau-of-purchases To obtain materials, supplies, equipment, or services through the Bureau of Purchases, complete a Requisition (or, if ordering from a master blanket contract, a Release Requisition) using CitiBuy. (CitiBuy is the City’s automated procurement system at www.baltimorecitibuy.org. Users may obtain passwords and user identification numbers by contacting the Bureau of Purchases.) Agency heads are responsible for anticipating purchasing requirements in sufficient time to obtain goods and services through the normal channels in the Bureau of Purchases, and should use the following table as a guide as to the required lead time for the Bureau of Purchases to process their requisitions. (Note that the timeframes given below are averages; some procurement may take longer to complete.)
Purchase from an existing Master Blanket Contract Expenditure of $5,000 or Less Expenditure of $5,000 to $25,000 Expenditure of $25,000 to $50,000 Expenditure of Over $50,000
Average of 7 Days Average of 14 Days Average of 30 Days Average of 45 Days Average of 90 Days
direct-purchases Agencies may procure some items directly from a vendor provided that certain criteria are met. Expenditure Authorizations, Small Purchases Procurement Cards (credit cards), and Petty Cash Funds provide agencies the means to make direct purchases when necessary and are the subject of separate Administrative Manual policies. *History: February 5, 1988* *History: July 20, 2011* ## Policy AM-301-1-1 Completing a Requisition Balt., Md., Admin. Manual AM-301-1-1 (2026) ## Policy AM-301-2 Memberships and Subscriptions Balt., Md., Admin. Manual AM-301-2 (2026) scope Agency heads may authorize the use of City funds to allow employees to join professional associations or organizations and/or to subscribe to professional publications, which directly relate to the work of the agency guidelines When requesting dues for a professional membership or ordering a subscription, the following general guidelines must be observed; Membership Dues 1. Payment of an employee’s membership dues will be authorized for a professional association or organization that is related to the employee’s work and that will benefit City Government. 2. The agency head or designee must approve the membership dues request. Subscription 1. Only one subscription per publication will be authorized for any one agency unless expressly requested, justified and approved by the agency head. 2. Subscriptions must be purchased in the name and title of the agency head or his/her designee. 3. All publications must be delivered to the business address of the subscriber. memberships-and-subscriptions To process professional membership dues or order a subscription, an expenditure authorization must be prepared with appropriate documentation attached and submitted to the Department of Finance, Bureau of Accounting and Payroll Services, 401 E. Fayette St. The small purchases procurement card may also be used to process professional membership payments in accordance with AM-309-1. *History: July 1, 2006* *History: June 15, 2012* ## Policy AM-301-3 Floor-Space Requests and Rent Payments Balt., Md., Admin. Manual AM-301-3 (2026) All applications for the following types of floor space must be submitted to the Space Utilization Committee and approved by the Board of Estimates: Applications should be sent to Room 400, Temporary City Hall, 26 S. Calvert St. approval-of-space-requests The above types of space requests must be submitted to the Space Utilization Committee at least 4 months prior to either the beginning of the expected lease period or the date that the space will be needed. The Space Utilization Committee will forward the request to the Department of Finance and the Department of Planning, for comment prior to review. rent-payment A PURCHASE REQUISITION and DEPARTMENTAL RECEIVING NOTICE - - FOR PARTIAL SHIPMENT must be submitted at specific times in order for payment to take place. See AM-301-3-2 for details. termination-of-lease If upon expiration of the current lease, no lease renewal or other space will be required, the Space Utilization Committee must be informed in writing of the lease termination, 4 months prior to the lease expiration date. surplus-space Agencies must promptly notify the Space Utilization Committee when any or all space which is presently under their jurisdiction is no longer required. requests-for-rental-of-city-buildings Agencies must refer all requests for the rental or use of City-owned buildings to the Space Utilization Committee. *History: November 3, 1975* ## Policy AM-301-3-1 Applying for Floor-Space Balt., Md., Admin. Manual AM-301-3-1 (2026) ## Policy AM-301-3-2 Payment of Real Property Rentals Balt., Md., Admin. Manual AM-301-3-2 (2026) *History: January 28, 1974* ## Policy AM-301-5 Procurement of Reproduction and Printing Equipment, Accessories, & Service Contracts Balt., Md., Admin. Manual AM-301-5 (2026) printing-equipment,-accessories,-maintenance-contracts In order to purchase or lease any of the items listed below an agency must submit a PURCHASE JUSTIFICATION DETAIL (28-1448-5127) [AM-301-5-1] and a PURCHASE REQUISITION (28-1448-5123) [AM-301-1-1] to the Bureau of Purchases: evaluation The Bureau of Purchases has the authority to alter or reject an agency’s procurement request. Before purchasing or leasing any reproduction and printing equipment, accessories, or maintenance contracts, the Bureau of Purchases will evaluate the agency’s request to determine the following: renewal-of-lease-agreements For renewal of a continuing lease agreement, agencies must submit a PURCHASE REQUISITION to the Bureau of Purchases at the start of the fiscal year to cover the cost of the year’s lease. If the renewed lease will include changes or additions to existing equipment, a PURCHASE JUSTIFICATION DETAIL must also be submitted to the Bureau of Purchases with the PURCHASE REQUISITION. *History: February 18, 1976* ## Policy AM-301-5-1 Purchase Justification Detail Balt., Md., Admin. Manual AM-301-5-1 (2026) *History: February 18, 1976* ## Policy AM-301-10 Information Technology and Security Charter Balt., Md., Admin. Manual AM-301-10 (2026) The City of Baltimore (“City”) is committed to responsible stewardship of the City’s information technology (IT) resources. This includes preserving the confidentiality, integrity, and availability of all forms of information used by the City and maintained on behalf of all stakeholders including our residents, City employees and contractors, customers, vendors, non-profits, and other government entities. This Policy functions as an IT and Security Charter that will improve our ability to serve the community, strengthen the protection of data entrusted to the City by all individuals and entities, and mitigate the impact of future cyberattacks. The purpose of this IT and Security Charter is to define the responsibilities for developing, maintaining, and monitoring compliance with the City of Baltimore Information Technology and Security Manual (ITSM). The City is committed to the secure operation of critical infrastructure as defined by the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Agency (CISA) including, public health systems, public safety systems, water and wastewater systems, the operation of three dams, and government and commercial facilities. The City enters into agreements with suppliers, vendors, software as a service (SaaS) providers and professional services that are used to maintain the City’s infrastructure, protect the public and to provide resident services. The City is committed to protecting any sensitive data that is shared or hosted by these suppliers, vendors, Software as a Service (SaaS) or professional services providers. The foundation of a mature IT program is a set of documented standards that describe how systems will be procured, developed, tested, implemented, and maintained. The standards provide minimum requirements that shall be used for system procurement, development, deployment, and operations. Documented IT Standards improve the City’s ability to deploy cost effective systems in a predictable and timely manner, reduce the cost of operations and maintenance and improve our security posture. The Baltimore City Information Technology and Security Manual (ITSM) will be comprised of a set of IT Standards to manage IT assets and information effectively, efficiently, and securely on behalf of our residents and stakeholders. I. This Policy applies to the City’s computing, networking, digital technology, operational technology (OT), supervisory control and data acquisition (SCADA), telephony, digital assets and digital files, hardware, software, web applications, commercial off the shelf (COTs) applications, infrastructure or platform or software as a service (cloud IT), vendor managed IT or applications, workstations, desktops, laptops, tablets, the internet of things (IOT) devices, or information that may be owned, leased, entrusted to or managed by the City (hereinafter referred to as “IT resources”). This Policy applies to all users of IT resources owned, operated, or managed by the City to the extent allowed by law or applicable contracts. Individuals covered by this Policy are collectively referred to as “users” and include but are not limited to full and part time employees, and, to the extent allowed by law or applicable contracts, the contractors, interns, partners, visitors, and customers that use the IT resources. The term “users” also applies to individuals who connect to the City’s IT resources by wire or wirelessly using personally owned devices. II. The Information Technology Security Manual (ITSM) is managed by Baltimore City Information Technology. The ITSM will provide a process for Agency review and comment prior to the adoption of new standards or updates to existing standards. The City’s CIO and selected Senior Leadership from the Mayor’s Office and Agencies will provide final review and approval. The ITSM will cover the following sections: III. All users are responsible for following the Standards in the ITSM as well as the City’s IT Acceptable Use Policy (AM-118-1) to ensure that the City’s IT resources are used only in proper pursuit of the City’s business; information is not improperly disclosed, modified or endangered; and access to the City’s information resources is not made available to any unauthorized person. A. The Chief Information Officer (CIO) is responsible for: B. The Chief Information Security Officer (CISO) is responsible for: C. The Agency Head or designee bears responsibility for: Adherence to the IT Standards will be monitored and enforced using automated tools where feasible. The IT Standards will also be monitored and enforced through metrics, red / yellow / green scorecards and by IT audits or assessments. IV. Users found in violation of this Policy are subject to disciplinary action up to and including restriction, possible loss of privileges, suspension, or termination. If necessary, the City will notify the City’s Law Department, OIG, or law enforcement of any legal violations. *History: August 22, 1986* *History: May 18, 2012* *History: August 21, 2024 [replaces AM-301-10-1]* ## Policy AM-303-1 Expenditure Authorizations (EAs) Balt., Md., Admin. Manual AM-303-1 (2026) scope This policy concerns Expenditure Authorizations (EAs) (28-1428-5035), which may be used to pay for certain City obligations. With the advent of the new CityDynamics financial system, Expenditure Authorizations (EAs) replace the use of Direct Payment Orders (DPOs). definitions Non-Recurring Expenses: Purchases for goods or services that are not related to and do not constitute an obligation or commitment on the part of the City for any expense with that vendor that would exceed $5,000 for those same goods or services over the course of a fiscal year. “Non-recurring” further means that the agency does not knowingly have additional ongoing requirements that would exceed $5,000 for the same goods or services over the course of a fiscal year. Recurring Expenses: Purchases for goods or services that are related to or do constitute an obligation or commitment on the part of the City for further expense with that vendor for those goods or services that would exceed $5,000 over the course of a fiscal year, as well as purchases for which an agency knowingly has additional ongoing requirements for the same goods or services that would exceed $5,000 over the course of a fiscal year. appropriate-uses-of-an-ea Purchases Up to $5,000 of a Non-Recurring Nature City agencies may transact certain purchases of a non-recurring nature (as defined above) up to $5,000 on a direct basis and pay the invoice with an EA. Note that an EA should NOT be used to purchase goods or services that are available on a Citywide requirements contract (see section titled “Requirements Contracts” below). Additionally, EAs may NOT be used to purchase services from outside vendors that are provided by the Printing and Graphics Division of the Bureau of Purchases. Obligations Approved by the Board of Estimates of a Non-Recurring Nature If a transaction is valued at more than $5,000 but has explicit approval of the Board of Estimates and is of a non-recurring nature (see definition of “non-recurring” above) then an EA may appropriately be used to pay the obligation. A copy of the Board of Estimates approval should accompany the EA. Special Authority for Uses of an EA There are certain specific categories of obligations that may be paid, even on a recurring basis and regardless of dollar amount, with an EA without seeking Board of Estimates approval for the payment. When an agency uses an EA to pay for one of these items, it must clearly note on the EA form the category under which the expense falls. These categories for use of an EA are limited to: circumstances-under-which-a-purchase-order-from-the-bureau-of-purchases-is-required Obligations Greater Than $5,000 To cover those obligations greater than $5,000 that are not specifically identified above as special authority to go beyond the $5,000 limit or have not specifically been authorized and approved by the Board of Estimates, it is necessary to initiate a purchasing requisition according to the process as stipulated in AM-301-1. Requirements Contracts For purchases from a Citywide requirements contract, it is necessary to initiate a release requisition and have a purchase order issued against the requirements contract. Requirements contracts have been established as a mechanism to acquire goods and services directly from a vendor that has been awarded a contract by the Board of Estimates, generally for a multi-year term. This type of contract provides City agencies the ability to secure goods and services on a repetitive basis without going through a competitive process each time such goods and services are required. Such an award by the Board of Estimates carries with it an explicit directive to City agencies to purchase those goods or services from that particular vendor only. A complete list of currently available requirements contracts can be found in CitiBuy. Users should perform an Advanced Search for Contracts in “Sent” status. Professional Services Contracts On occasion, City agencies may bring a professional services contract, such as for consultants, directly to the Board of Estimates for authorization and approval. Although such contracts have approval by the Board of Estimates, it is still necessary to have the City Purchasing Agent issue a purchase order. Therefore, following the approval of such a contract by the Board of Estimates, the agency shall initiate a requisition and attach a copy of the approved Board of Estimates letter in CitiBuy. The funding will be encumbered upon the approval of the requisition. The City Purchasing Agent will then be able to issue a purchase order directly without delay. The existence of a purchase order for such contracts will provide the Accounts Payable Unit with a mechanism for knowing when expenditures against the contract reach the authorized level. This section of the policy related to Professional Services Contracts is not meant to include engineering and design contracts administered by the Department of Public Works and the Department of Transportation according to their internal procedures. This section also excludes personal services contracts/agreements that have been approved by the Board of Estimates according to the provisions of AM-212-1. Recurring Payments Under $5,000 Each It is not appropriate to use an EA to make payments under $5,000 if the payments are of a recurring nature (as defined earlier) and add up to more than $5,000 during the course of a fiscal year. other-circumstances Expenditures greater than $25,000 According to Resolution 10-24 of the Mayor and City Council and City Charter Article VI § 11 (3) (2), contracts must be approved by the Board of Estimates for all expenditures greater than $25,000. Expenditures greater than $50,000 According to Resolution 10-24 of the Mayor and City Council and City Charter Article VI § 11 (3) (2), contracts must be formally advertised for all expenditures greater than $50,000. sales-tax-exemption The City is exempt from payment of State of Maryland sales tax. Agencies which make direct purchases must supply the City's tax exemption number (3000055-9) to the vendor at the time of purchase. COMPLETING AND SUBMITTING EAs Expenditure Authorizations (EAs) must be submitted electronically in the CityDynamics financial system. If an EA is being used to pay for a “Special Authority” case, this must be noted in the “Enter Notes” section of the EA. Once submitted, EAs will be automatically routed to the appropriate agency approver in CityDynamics. In all but emergency cases an EA must be approved prior to the acquisition of the associated goods or services. This serves as the authority to purchase the goods and services. In those cases where BOE approval is required, enter the BOE approval date in the reference number filed on the EA. The EA number must be communicated to the vendor providing the goods or services and vendors must be instructed to include the EA number on all invoices. Failure to include the EA number on invoices will delay payment. Vendor invoices must be sent directly by the Vendor to the Bureau of Accounting and Payroll Services to be electronically linked to the EA creation in CityDynamics. Agency fiscal staff must match, receive and approve in CityDynamics. Once matched and approved, the invoice will be scheduled for payment by Bureau of Accounting and Payroll Services Accounts Payable Division. In order to ensure appropriate internal control over all vendor payments, the Bureau of Accounting and Payroll Services cannot pay for any goods or services that are not supported by an appropriate vendor invoice. If you have questions regarding what constitutes a valid invoice, please contact the Bureau of Accounting and Payroll Services Accounts Payable Office for guidance. Failure to provide appropriate invoice documentation will delay payments to vendors. agency-responsibilities Agencies may not divide large requirements into several smaller orders under $5,000 in an attempt to circumvent competitive bidding requirements. Violations of this direct purchasing authority by City agencies may result in the agency losing the authority to purchase up to $5,000 using the EA process. mbe/wbe-preference The City of Baltimore promotes equal business opportunity in the City’s purchasing process by encouraging full and equitable participation by minority and women’s business enterprises in the provision of goods and services to the City. Agencies should give preference to these vendors when making purchases less than $5,000 according to this policy. A full list of certified MBE and WBE vendors is available on the City’s website at: http://cityservices.baltimorecity.gov/mwboo/ finance-department-responsibilities The Bureau of Accounting and Payroll Services will return to an agency any EAs that are not in accordance with AM-303-1 or specifically authorized by the Board of Estimates. Additionally, the Finance Department will perform quality control checks on a regular basis to ensure that EAs are generally being used appropriately by City agencies. *History: July 15, 2011* *History: August 22, 2012* ## Policy AM-303-2 City of Baltimore Tax Exempt Certificate Balt., Md., Admin. Manual AM-303-2 (2026) scope The City is exempt from payment of State of Maryland sales tax. Agencies which make direct purchases must supply the City's tax exemption number to the vendor at the time of purchase. Reimbursement will not be made for sales taxes paid. tax-exemption-number 3000055-9 *History: February 28, 2005* *History: October 26, 2016* ## Policy AM-303-3 Payment of City Obligations Balt., Md., Admin. Manual AM-303-3 (2026) scope Board of Estimates policy requires prompt payment of the City of Baltimore obligations; provides for the payment of interest by the City after a certain period of time; provides certain exemptions from the City's payment of interest; and authorizes the Director of Finance to perform certain duties generally relating to the payment of City obligations. definitions “Proper invoice” has the meaning stated in Article 5, §37-1 of the Baltimore City Code1. “Receipt date” has the meaning stated in Article 5, §37-1 of the Baltimore City Code2. policy-requirements It is the policy of the City that payment pursuant to any authorized written procurement or construction contract shall be made by the City to the contractor not later than the date specified in the contract or, if no date is specified, then not later than 30 days from the receipt date of a proper invoice. An agency or office responsible for paying City obligations may adopt a separate, more specific or unique policy regarding payment of City obligations that is consistent with the requirements of this policy. Such a policy shall require review and approval by the Director of Finance in writing and posted online. contract-initiation In accordance with existing City laws, policies, and procedures, all costs associated with a purchase order or other authorization shall be established in writing between the City and a vendor prior to purchase. Any changes in the cost of a contract or purchase require a change order or, if applicable, an amendment. The Department of Finance may establish procedures for streamlined approval of low-risk change orders for time and material cost estimates that are in accordance with Generally Accepted Accounting Principles. The Department of Finance shall issue written guidance describing any streamlined procedures are effective until explicitly rescinded or overturned by future written guidance issued by the Department of Finance. invoice-review-and-approval Every City agency or office responsible for payment of City obligations shall appoint an “Accounts Payable Lead” and “Accounts Payable Alternate.” The Accounts Payable Lead shall be responsible for tracking invoices for the agency or office, monitoring timeliness and review of the invoice and shall make every effort to ensure payment within 30 calendar days from submission of a proper invoice. The Accounts Payable Lead shall alert management within the agency or office, the Accounts Payable Contact(s) within the Department of Finance, and the Accounts Payable Contact(s) within the Mayor’s Office when an invoice is not paid within 30 calendar days. The Accounts Payable Alternate shall perform the duties of the Accounts Payable Lead in his/her absence or when the Accounts Payable Lead is otherwise unavailable. While vendors shall send invoices to the location specified in the contract, they should also send courtesy copies to the agencies or offices responsible for paying City obligations simultaneously. No invoice may be approved unless it is a proper invoice. These courtesy copies shall not be used as the basis for receiving goods or services. Blind receiving of invoices is a key component of the City’s three-way match of the purchase order, the receipts, and the invoice. Properly executed receiving establishes the total permit-to-pay amount on a purchase order at any given point in time. Agencies or offices responsible for the payment of City obligations shall take all necessary steps to alert vendors or contractors that an invoice is not proper and explain why. A determination that an invoice is not proper and therefore, payment cannot be made, shall be in writing, a copy of which shall be kept in the file of record for the contract. Agencies or offices shall alert vendors or contractors that an invoice is needed for work performed or services rendered if no invoice is received within 6 months of completion of the work or services provided. collection-limitations Consistent with City, State, or Federal law, the Finance Director may determine a period of time after which an invoice is no longer valid and for which the City has no obligation to pay. Such a determination shall ensure there were demonstrable and documented attempts to resolve any outstanding questions. compliance The Mayor’s Office and the Department of Finance shall determine procedures to review the timeliness of payments of obligations as well as compliance with existing laws, policies, and procedures. interest Any amount due and payable pursuant to law and under an authorized written procurement contract or a construction contract, which remains unpaid for more than 45 calendar days after the receipt date, shall accrue interest. The interest shall accrue at a rate specified by the Board of Estimates for the period that begins 31 calendar days after the receipt date. If the written contract specifies a date before which payment must be made by the City, then the provisions of that contract shall apply to the payment of interest by the City. exemptions The City is not liable for the payment of interest if a proper invoice for accrued interest is not submitted within 30 calendar days after the payment date of the amount on which the interest accrued, if there is a dispute between the City and the contractor, or for more than one year following the 31st calendar day after the receipt date or on amounts representing unpaid interest. responsbilities The Director of Finance may adopt guidelines, rules, and/or regulations pertinent to enforcing this policy. The Director may charge the contracting City agency any interest paid, when the City agency was the cause of the delay requiring the payment of interest, otherwise the Department of Finance shall pay the interest provided. *History: July 10, 1989* *History: November 2, 2016* ## Policy AM-303-4 Informal Bids Balt., Md., Admin. Manual AM-303-4 (2026) scope An informal bid involves the procurement of any supplies, materials, equipment or services, other than food or professional services, which have a value of less than $25,000. In cases of a food bid, the procurement must be less than $40,000. Bids are opened at 11:00 a.m. on the specified due date during the workweek; however there are no informal bid openings on Wednesday. Recommended bids are submitted to the Board of Estimates for award, except for bid awards of less than $5,000, which are awarded by the Department of Finance, Bureau of Purchases or the responsible City department. delivery-of-bids The Informal Bid Office is located in Department of Finance, Bureau of Purchases, 231 E. Baltimore St., Suite 200, Baltimore, MD 21202. The office is open from 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m., five days a week. Vendors may deliver sealed bids only to this office on any day before the bid due date, but no later than 11:00 a.m. on the due date. bid-deadline The bid office personnel accepts no responsibility for a vendor’s failure to meet the deadline of a specified bid opening. All informal bids must be accepted and stamped before 11:01 a.m. on the bid due date. Any bid received after 11:01 a.m. will be marked "late" and returned with the original bid envelope to the vendor with the appropriate explanatory letter. A copy of the bid envelope and explanatory letter are forwarded to the Bureau of Purchases or the responsible City department along with all acceptable bids for award consideration. The time stamp clock is set daily by calling local time on 410-844-1212 and is the official time for determining whether a bid has been submitted by the deadline. opening-of-bids Vendor informal bids are opened at the Informal Bid Office, processed, stored in computerized archives, and then dispersed. The originals are then sent to the Bureau of Purchases or appropriate City department for evaluation and award. Results of bid openings, which are in computerized archives, may be reviewed no earlier than the following Tuesday of the bid opening date at the Bureau of Purchases, 231 E. Baltimore St., Suite 200. public-reading-of-bids The purpose of the public reading on an informal bid is to permit any interested party to observe the opening of the informal bid envelopes by bid office personnel. Also, at the public reading a vendor may request the reading of prices for the solicitation in which they are interested. An informal bid public reading takes place immediately following the 11:00 a.m. deadline on the due date. A maximum of 10 items will be read from each bid list, if requested. A vendor is not permitted to read, to inspect or to handle an informal bid at anytime. Personnel of this office are not permitted to give information over the telephone in reference to bid results. transmission-of-bids Bids are transmitted to the awarding department or the Bureau of Purchases within two (2) days after the bid opening. formal-bids The Informal Bid Office is not authorized to process "Formal Bids". Personnel of the informal bid office are not authorized to provide information to buyers or vendors on "Formal Bids". Formal Bids are received in Room 204, City Hall, 100 N. Holliday St. and are the responsibility of the Office of the Comptroller. extension-of-due-date The due date of an informal bid may be changed by the Bureau of Purchases or the awarding department, provided that the Informal Bid Office is informed in writing by the City Purchasing Agent or awarding department of the change before the due date of the bid. The Bureau of Purchases or the awarding department accepts responsibility for informing all affected vendors. rejection-of-bids If an informal bid contains a submission entry in pencil, the entire bid will be rejected. An informal bid with insufficient postage affixed to it will be refused by the Bid Office personnel. All informal bids received after the public deadline will also be rejected. An informal bid submitted by Facsimile or e-mail will be rejected. Bids that are not delivered in sealed envelopes will not be accepted. *History: June 15, 1988* *History: January 1, 2001* ## Policy AM-304-1 Interdepartmental Work Order Balt., Md., Admin. Manual AM-304-1 (2026) An Interdepartmental Work Order (MDB 3916) is used to directly obtain various services provided by City agencies, rather than using the normal requisitioning process through the Bureau of Purchases. This form is generally used for interdepartmental services involving labor and/or material other than the normal maintenance services provide by the Bureau of General Services. *History: June 1, 1970* ## Policy AM-304-1-1 Completing an Interdepartmental Work Order Balt., Md., Admin. Manual AM-304-1-1 (2026) ## Policy AM-305-1 Inventory Balt., Md., Admin. Manual AM-305-1 (2026) 1 scope This policy establishes safeguards and controls to prevent the loss, abuse, and theft of materials, tools, and equipment owned by, or leased to, the City and assigned to various City administrative units. Adherence to these control and management procedures should reduce financial loss suffered by the City and maximize productivity of the administrative unit owning or leasing such equipment. It is the responsibility of the agency/bureau head or designee to ensure that the established procedures are implemented. policy-requirements It is the policy of The City of Baltimore that all City materials, tools, and equipment owned by, or leased to, the City: The Mayor’s Office shall establish guidelines to implement this policy. Agencies may develop their own guidelines so long as they are as stringent as those developed by the Mayor’s Office and have been reviewed and approved by the Mayor’s Chief of Staff or his/her designee. 1. Be safeguarded against theft, abuse, and loss; 2. Be managed and utilized in a prudent and effective manner to maximize their value; 3. Be financially valued and depreciated in accordance with Generally Accepted Accounting Principles; and 4. Be catalogued and inventoried and tracked in accordance with Generally Accepted Accounting Principles. identification Each agency that utilizes and/or manages materials, tools, and equipment shall designate employees whose primary responsibility it is to catalogue, value, and monitor the supply of the materials, tools, and equipment. These employees may not purchase materials, tools, and equipment. Materials Tools Equipment Vehicles and Other Rolling Stock Software control-of-city-property Agencies or bureaus at the time of procurement shall identify in a uniform manner materials, tools, and equipment as: Sensitive items are those items that are attractive for personnel use, pilferable, and or hazardous, and therefore require a greater degree of control and accountability. These include such items as desktop and laptop computers, smart phones, tablets, firearms, medicinal drugs, caustic chemicals, etc. Unless otherwise specified by law, contract, or other binding agreement, all items purchased using City funds that are considered non-sensitive with a value of $500 or more, or sensitive with a value of $250 or more must be physically tagged. All City Property, when no longer needed by the City agency with possession of or control over the property, must be transferred or disposed of in accordance with the Property Disposal Program (see AM-306-1 and AM-306-1-1) and categorized as one of the following: All City Property that is procured or otherwise acquired by the City with the sole intention of transferring ownership to another party (e.g. program incentive gifts, promotional items, emergency preparedness supplies, back-to-school supplies, employee awards) shall be clearly marked as such, and should not be counted as City inventory. Agencies or Bureaus shall: From time to time, the Department of Finance shall request financial information pertaining to asset depreciation as well as the cost, use, and procedures for safeguarding and managing materials, tools, and equipment. Agencies or Bureaus shall physically count all materials, tools, and equipment at least once per fiscal year and establish a procedure for performing continuous cycle counts for high-theft and/or high-dollar items. The Director of Finance may determine special procedures certain when necessary. All sensitive items shall be assigned to an owner who is responsible for its safekeeping. The custodial agency with inventory items or assets that have a set shelf life or expiration date, or a warranty period, should include this information in the inventory and/or asset tracking system (e.g. ballistic vests, pharmaceuticals, replacement windows). 1. Either assets or expenses and as 2. Either sensitive or non-sensitive. asset-management Assets are resources controlled by the City that have value and from which future economic benefits may be derived. In addition to investments and funds, assets include property and structures, as well as certain materials, tools, and equipment. Agencies or bureaus controlling assets shall manage City assets in accordance with Generally Accepted Accounting Principles and AM305-1 Part III Capital Assets and Accounting. 2 scope An inventory system must provide a continuous running record of the items on hand. In particular, it aids control and safeguard of items. An inventory record is maintained on a current basis for each item of inventory. The record will provide for recording recipients, issues, and balances on hand, usually in both quantities and dollar amounts. Thus, the physical amount and evaluation of items on hand at any time are readily available from the accounting records. With such a record, it is possible to guide material procurement by establishing points on minimum and maximum quantities for each standard item stocked. Inventory records discourage inventory theft and waste, since storekeepers and other employees are aware of the accountability of goods established by this continuous record of goods received, issued, and on hand. inventory-system In accordance with AM-305-1, Part I, all agencies shall conduct a physical count of all inventories controlled by the agency at least once per year, unless otherwise specified by grant or contract. When a discrepancy is found, the inventory records must be adjusted to the physical count. Differences, other than nominal amounts, must be investigated. The Chief of the Bureau of Accounting and Payroll Services as well as the City Inventory Control Officer should be consulted relative to establishing an inventory control system. For this purpose, an INVENTORY RECORD (28-1408-5157) may be utilized. physical-inventory-process reporting-requirements When a theft or diversion is identified or suspected, there are several alternative reporting requirements depending on the circumstances. IMPELEMENTATION Unless otherwise specified by law, contract, or other binding agreement, agencies may adopt a separate process or policy, subject to approval by the Director of Finance that is at least as stringent as this policy. *History: April 27, 1989* *History: November 2, 2016* ## Policy AM-305-1-1 Control of City Materials and Equipment Balt., Md., Admin. Manual AM-305-1-1 (2026) ## Policy AM-306-1 Property Disposal Program Balt., Md., Admin. Manual AM-306-1 (2026) scope This policy applies to City-owned property in all agencies, including abandoned vehicles. The Property Disposal Program does not apply to real property; however, the program includes the interior fixtures and other contents of real property should they be disposed of separately from the property. This program provides for the efficient use of all City-owned property and also furnishes agencies with an incentive to dispose of unneeded property. The Bureau of Purchases within the Department of Finance administers the Property Disposal Program, per Article VII of the City Charter. definitions The following definitions are provided to assist in implementing this policy. City-owned Property. Items in use or in storage to which the City has legal claim of ownership through procurement, donation, or other acquisition procedures. Excess Property. Items which are not in active use and which are no longer needed to meet the operating responsibilities of an agency. Surplus Property. Items that are no longer needed for the efficient operation of the City. Property that has been declared excess and which cannot be utilized by any City agency will be considered surplus. Salvage Property. Damaged or worn out equipment and materials having components which may be used in the repair of similar items or applied to other productive purposes. Scrap Property. Equipment and materials having no remaining useful life but which retain some monetary value through recycling or reprocessing. Custodial Agency. The last agency having ownership of an item prior to its being declared surplus, salvage, or scrap by the City Purchasing Agent. Point of Origin. The location of a surplus item or items. Property Disposal Coordinator. The person designated by the City Purchasing Agent to manage the Property Disposal Program, normally the supervisor of the Surplus Property Division within the Bureau of Purchases. agency-survey-of-property Agency heads are responsible for inventorying, declaring, and reporting all excess property to the Property Disposal Coordinator, and shall periodically survey their property in order to identify the following. All property which is not in active use and is no longer needed to meet agency operating responsibilities must be declared excess by the agency head. All such property shall be reported to the Property Disposal Coordinator by submission of a PROPERTY DISPOSAL REPORT (28-1408-5010). Agencies shall not accumulate excess property or establish agency storage locations for such property without the prior approval of the City Purchasing Agent. The City Purchasing Agent is authorized to require submission of an inventory report for the contents of any agency storage location. The Property Disposal Coordinator will determine whether an excess item will be disposed of at its point of origin or at an alternative location. 1. Items that are not needed where presently located, but which could be used elsewhere within the agency. Such property may be moved within the agency upon approval of the agency head and without the approval of the City Purchasing Agent. 2. Items that are not in active use and are no longer needed to meet agency operating responsibilities. available-excess-property Property Disposal Reports are evaluated by the Property Disposal Coordinator who will identify items that may be of use in other City agencies. The Property Disposal Coordinator shall make available a listing of available excess property to all City agencies. service-charge A service charge will be assessed on all items released back to agencies from surplus. This charge helps offset the operating expenses of the Surplus Property Division, which is a self-sustaining organization. The service charge assessed shall be 10% of the fair market value of the items. disposal-of-property The City Purchasing Agent has the sole authority to determine the disposition of surplus, salvage, and scrap property, to include the movement and storage of such property. Methods used by the City Purchasing Agent to dispose of surplus, salvage, and scrap property include. Surplus property that is to be donated must first be reported to the Property Disposal Coordinator in accordance with the normal procedures contained elsewhere herein. Property that has significant value, as determined by the City Purchasing Agent, can be donated only with the approval of the Board of Estimates. Agencies may not dispose of any City-owned property without the written approval of the City Purchasing Agent. The agency must receive a Property Release Authorization issued by the Bureau of Purchases. monetary-credit-for-property All money resulting from the sale of an agency's excess or scrap property by the City Purchasing Agent will be credited 50% to the custodial agency and 50% to the Bureau of Purchases to offset the administrative costs of the Property Disposal Program. responsibilities City Purchasing Agent Executive Director, Commission for Historical and Architectural Preservation: Agency Head *History: January 1, 2001* *History: September 15, 2010* ## Policy AM-306-1-1 Procedure for Declaring Excess Property Balt., Md., Admin. Manual AM-306-1-1 (2026) *History: October 10, 1989* *History: April 27, 2000* ## Policy AM-307-1 Vending Machines Balt., Md., Admin. Manual AM-307-1 (2026) scope All vending machine installations must be approved through the City of Baltimore’s standard Citywide "requirements" type of procurement contract, solicited and bid by the Department of Finance, Bureau of Purchases. It must be publicly approved and awarded by the Board of Estimates. Any City agency desiring to have vending machine installations other than those included in the City "requirements" contracts, must request an exemption from the Board of Estimates. Any vending machine installations, which are not among those approved in the City’s "requirements" contracts or specifically approved by the Board of Estimates, shall immediately be removed and service terminated by the agency. definition Vending Machines - All coin-operated food and beverage dispensing equipment shall be considered vending machines. GENERAL PROVISIONS - The delivery of vending machine services for City agencies shall be competitively bid on the basis of the service and commodity specified and the highest fixed rent paid to the City on a quarterly basis. Revenues accruing to the City will be regarded as secondary and in reasonable relation to the cost to the City of providing space, utilities and janitorial services. Additionally, fair and reasonable vended product selling prices will be part of the contractor’s proposal. All contracts shall require "maintenance" by the vendor; i.e., the timely stocking and cleaning of machines. At no time will City employees handle vending stock, maintain machines or handle monies collected. The cost of installing additional utility lines, where necessary, and any desired tables, chairs and related lunchroom items surrounding a vending machine installation shall be charged to the agency requesting the installation. The parameters of City "requirements" contracts dictate that the City government obtains all of its required services or commodities from the awarded vendor and the vendor shall deliver to the City all of the services or commodities ordered under the contract. Every effort will be made to ensure a reasonably high level of service, a variety of fresh product selections and a moderate price structure for the consumer. revenue Revenue, in the form of fixed rent, from vending machine installations shall be remitted to the Department of Finance, Bureau of Treasury Management, Collections Division, as General Fund revenue. The City Purchasing Agent shall see that the terms of the contractual revenue payments are provided to the Bureau of Accounting and Payroll Services for inclusion into the City’s automated Miscellaneous Billing System. new-installations All requests for vending machine installations shall be submitted in writing to the City Purchasing Agent, Bureau of Purchases, 231 E. Baltimore St. and include the following: If a "lunchroom" is to be created or modified, the estimated cost of any renovations, tables, chairs or other modifications shall be quoted. The City Purchasing Agent or his/her designee will review all new vending machine installation requests for incorporation into the Citywide "requirements" contract. If the City Purchasing Agent determines that the request is not adequately justified or economically viable, the requestor will be notified in writing. If the request is justified, the vending machines will be promptly ordered and the new location shall be added to the City’s vending contract. exempt-vending-machine-installations Any City agencies desiring to have vending machine installations other than those included in the City’ "requirements" contracts, must request an exemption from the Board of Estimates. The agency shall submit a letter to the Board of Estimates, which includes the following information: If construction, modification or other "lunchroom" accessories would be requested, an estimate of those costs shall also be included. Upon approval by the Board of Estimates, a copy of the approved board letter shall be sent to the City Purchasing Agent so the exempted machines and locations can be excluded from the city "requirements" contract. 1. number of employees serviced; and 2. distance to nearest alternate source of product. *History: December 15, 1971* *History: April 27, 2000* ## Policy AM-308-1 Procurement Balt., Md., Admin. Manual AM-308-1 (2026) purchase-orders-for-goods-and-services-–-agency-responsibilities All agencies are responsible for taking the following actions in regard to the purchase of goods and services. upon-receipt-of-purchase-order Upon receipt of a Purchase Order (or, if using a Master Blanket contract, a Release Purchase Order) in CitiBuy, the agency must immediately examine it to ensure that it agrees with the Requisition submitted by the agency in CitiBuy. (CitiBuy is the City’s automated procurement system accessed at www.baltimorecitibuy.org. Users may obtain passwords and user identification numbers by contacting the Bureau of Purchases.) If any discrepancies exist, the agency must immediately notify the appropriate buyer in the Bureau of Purchases. follow-up-of-order The agency is responsible for following up the progress of the order by checking directly with the supplier to ensure proper delivery of goods and services. upon-receipt-of-goods-and-services Upon receipt of the ordered goods or services, the agency must immediately verify that: If any of the above conditions are not met: The agency must immediately notify the supplier and request that the supplier take corrective action. If substitute goods or services are desired by an agency, the agency must submit a written request for approval of such substitutions to the appropriate buyer in the Bureau of Purchases. Agencies may not accept substitute goods or services without written approval from the Bureau of Purchases. If all the above conditions have been met: The agency must immediately enter the appropriate receiving information into CitiBuy. Quick action will not only contribute to improved supplier relations, but will also ensure that the City will be able to take advantage of any cash discounts offered for prompt payment. problems-with-suppliers Agencies should attempt to resolve problems with suppliers by dealing directly with the supplier and all such attempts must be carefully documented. Copies of correspondence with suppliers must be sent to the appropriate buyer in the Bureau of Purchases. Agencies must carefully maintain written records of inadequate performance by suppliers, e.g., failure to meet specifications, late deliveries, failure to perform according to contract, etc. When notifying a supplier or the Bureau of Purchases of any problem, agencies must make such notification in writing. If an emergency exists, notification may be made initially by telephone with follow-up written notification. If repeated agency attempts to resolve problems with a supplier do not produce satisfactory results within 30 days after the required performance date for services, or within 60 days after the required delivery date for goods, the agency must promptly submit an UNSATISFACTORY SUPPLIER PERFORMANCE REPORT (28-1448-5025) [AM-308-1-1] to the appropriate buyer in the Bureau of Purchases. If the situation is serious enough to warrant earlier action, the agency may submit the report prior to the timeframes specified above. Copies of all relevant correspondence must be attached to the report. If a supplier has a history of unsatisfactory performance on a number of Purchase Orders or creates a serious problem in a particular instance, the agency should submit a memorandum directly to the City Purchasing Agent. The memorandum should contain an explanation of the problem, and a description of the corrective actions taken by the agency. Copies of all relevant correspondence should be attached to the memorandum. *History: August 20, 1975* *History: July 20, 2011* ## Policy AM-308-1-1 Completing an “Unsatisfactory Supplier Performance Report” Balt., Md., Admin. Manual AM-308-1-1 (2026) ## Policy AM-309-1 Procurement Card Program Balt., Md., Admin. Manual AM-309-1 (2026) The Department of Finance has established the Procurement Card Program (PCP) that facilitates the procurement of goods and services on a direct or emergency basis; the payment of recurring expenditures; and the payment of invoices as set by the terms of an approved purchase order (PO). Under the authority set and enforced by the Department of Finance, Bureau of Procurement (BOP), this policy establishes standards for the issuance and use of the procurement card (P-Card). This policy works in conjunction with a PCP user guide, which provides details and outlines specific procedures that must be followed. Agency heads may impose stricter requirements than those stated in this policy for their agency. Definitions Eligibility The applicant must: The agency coordinator must: The agency approving official and his/her proxy must: This program requires each agency to: Card Use P-Cards can be used for two primary purposes as follows: 1. Purchase of 2. Payment of invoices as set by the terms of an approved PO (to be determined in advance by BOP). Agencies must have a significant number of P-Cards to meet their operational needs. However, agencies may have shared cards as long as sufficient internal controls are in place and the cardholder remains primarily responsible for all duties related to it. Card Restrictions and Purchase and Payment Limitations P-Cards cannot be used to purchase goods and services when a requirements contract is in place for the desired goods and services (excluding exceptions identified by BOP). The City is exempt from paying sales taxes. Violators must reimburse the City for any sales tax improperly paid and may be subject to enforcement action. Items intended for personal use (e.g. serves no legitimate government purpose) may not be charged, even when there are intentions of reimbursing the City. Violators must reimburse the City and may be subject to enforcement and/or disciplinary action. Additionally, the following is a list of some items for which purchase is restricted on the P-Card (excluding specific exceptions identified by BOP): Agencies that wish to use their P-Card for educational courses can only do so after receiving written confirmation from the Department of Human Resource (DHR) that the desired course is not offered by the DHR. Each P-Card account is coded with the following: In the event a P-Card will be used as a payment method on a PO, BOP may require a separate P-Card application be submitted for a card that will have the credit limits and/or dollar limits removed. This card will only be approved for use as a payment method on POs, and not for purchases directly with merchants. Agencies must submit to and receive from BOP an approved Procurement Card Program Waiver Request or alternate documentation identified by BOP to remove restrictions, increase purchase and payment limits, and adjust MCCs. Purchase Procedures Prior to using the P-Card, the cardholder must: When making a purchase, the cardholder must provide each merchant the City’s tax ID number as tax exemption is not an automatic process. When the cardholder receives their goods, he/she must: Orders must not be placed with vendors Reconciliation During the grace period, the card provider shall notify each cardholder, the agency coordinator, and the agency approving official on the day each cardholder’s individual statement is available if there is activity during the period. This notification represents the date the cardholder receives their individual statement. Upon receipt, each cardholder must immediately review it for accuracy. Discrepancies that cannot be corrected with the vendor and fraudulent charges must be immediately reported to the card provider. Each individual statement must be reconciled with the following documents: All of these documents, where applicable, must be approved and submitted to BOP by the agency approving official before the conclusion of the reconciliation period. The reconciliation period includes the time required by BAPS to approve the agency’s journal entry. Enforcement action, up to and including deactivation of P-Card, may be implemented if BOP does not receive these documents before the reconciliation period concludes. Once a P-Card is deactivated, the cardholder can re-apply as a new applicant but must correct shortcomings and attend training before a new P-Card is issued to him/her. Reimbursement Cardholders who pay sales tax and purchase unauthorized items are in violation of this policy and may be subject to enforcement and/or disciplinary action, up to and including termination and legal action. If the cardholder has lost a receipt, he/she must reimburse the City for the expense or provide an affidavit of the purchase and loss of the receipt. Sales tax and personal and unauthorized items must be reimbursed to the City via a Cash Deposit Slip. The cardholder must submit a validated copy of the deposit slip or a signed missing receipt affidavit to BOP with their reconciliation documentation by the deadline in which the expense was incurred. If the cardholder reimburses for the lost receipt and subsequently locates the receipt or receives a credit of sales tax from a vendor in a future individual statement, he/she can pursue reimbursement in accordance with the Employee Expense Report policy (AM-240-11). The City can pursue reimbursement from the cardholder by payroll authorization. If a third party is reimbursing the City for P-Card transactions, the agency must prepare a Cash Deposit Slip applying the reimbursement to the BAN that each reimbursable expense was charged. A copy of the validated deposit slip and supporting documentation must be submitted to BOP. Responsibilities of Stakeholders Retention of Files Each agency must retain their P-Card documentation (to include all receipts and card statements) of the current calendar year and three calendars years preceding the current one. Rights of BOP BOP has the right to: Violation P-Card stakeholders who violate this policy, abuse the PCP, and/or fail to fulfill their responsibilities as outlined in this policy may incur enforcement action (up to and including card deactivation), disciplinary action (up to and including termination), and/or legal action. *History: July 1, 2009* *History: January 1, 2020* ## Policy AM-309-1-1 Authorization for Wage Reduction Balt., Md., Admin. Manual AM-309-1-1 (2026) I hereby acknowledge receiving AM-309-1 governing the use of Small Purchase Procurement Card (“SPPC”). I have read AM-309-1 and understand that it is my primary responsibility to ensure that the SPPC is used only for the purchase of items authorized in AM-303-1, Direct Payment Order, or as otherwise permitted under this AM policy. I further acknowledge that if it is determined that I have misused the SPPC, I may be held personally responsible for the value of the misuse. I agree to have deducted from my payroll check the amount of any unauthorized use of the SPPC. _____________________________________________
Signature of SPPC Holder _____________________________________________ Printed Name of SPPC Holder *History: December 15, 2006*