North Carolina

North Carolina General Statutes

Chapter 160A. Cities and Towns

Article 20. Interlocal Cooperation

Part 1. Joint Exercise of Powers

N.C. GEN. STAT. §160A-460. Definitions

The words defined in this section shall have the meanings indicated when used in this Part:

(1) “Undertaking” means the joint exercise by two or more units of local government, or the contractual exercise by one unit for one or more other units, of any power, function, public enterprise, right, privilege, or immunity of local government.

(2) “Unit,” or “unit of local government” means a county, city, consolidated city-county, local board of education, sanitary district, facility authority created under Part 4 of this Article, special district created under Article 43 of Chapter 105 of the General Statutes, or other local political subdivision, authority, or agency of local government.

N.C.G.S. §160A-461. Interlocal cooperation authorized.

Any unit of local government in this State and any one or more other units of local government in this State or any other state (to the extent permitted by the laws of the other state) may enter into contracts or agreements with each other in order to execute any undertaking. The contracts and agreements shall be of reasonable duration, as determined by the participating units, and shall be ratified by resolution of the governing board of each unit spread upon its minutes.

Chapter 143. State Departments, Institutions, and Commissions

N.C.G.S. §143-129. Procedure for letting of public contracts.

(e) Exceptions. – The requirements of this Article do not apply to:

(3) Purchases made through a competitive bidding group purchasing program, which is a formally organized program that offers competitively obtained purchasing services at discount prices to two or more public agencies.

North Carolina Administrative Code

Title 01 – Administration

Chapter 05 – Purchase and Contract

01 NCAC 05B .1513 COOPERATIVE PURCHASING

Where an agency is a participant in an authorized cooperative project with another governmental activity or with a charitable non-profit organization, goods and services necessary to the project shall be acquired according to the rules of this Chapter; provided, however, that if the interest of the State would be better served by one of the following acquisition methods, the SPO may authorize that acquisition method to be used:

(1) by making acquisition on behalf of such governmental activity or charitable non-profit organization; or

(2) by authorizing acquisition on the State’s behalf under the provisions of G.S. 143, Article 8; or

(3) by authorizing acquisition on the State’s behalf under the provisions of another State or another governmental entity, provided due consideration is given by the SPO to the differences in purchasing rules, regulations and procedures of the contracting entity.