Purchasing is a division of the Finance Department. The mission of the Purchasing Division is to cost-effectively obtain and provide quality goods and services to City of Merced departments in a timely manner. Purchasing also provides quote and bid preparation assistance to City departments as needed. Purchasing is interested in promoting business opportunities within the City. All bids for goods and services over the purchasing bid threshold ($37,000) are advertised in the local newspapers. For quotes under the bid threshold, potential bidders are taken from vendor records maintained in the City's vendor file. Purchasing staff works very closely with Accounts Payable to make sure invoices are correct and paid promptly.