New Jersey § 58:5-20

§ 58:5-20.

a. Whenever any work to be performed or material to be furnished involves an expenditure

exceeding $7,500.00 or the amount determined pursuant to subsection b. of this section,

the commission shall cause to be prepared, and shall approve in public meeting, such

form of contract or alternative contracts for the execution of the work or the furnishing

of the materials, and payment therefor, as will in its judgment secure the execution

of the work and the furnishing of the materials most efficiently, economically and

expeditiously. This subsection shall not prevent the commission from having any work done by its

own employees, nor shall it apply to repairs, or to the furnishing of materials, supplies

or labor, or the hiring of equipment or vehicles, when the safety or protection of

its or other public property or the public convenience requires, or the exigency of

the commission's service will not admit of such advertisement. In such case the commission shall, by resolution, passed by the affirmative vote

of a majority of its members, declare the exigency or emergency to exist, and set

forth in the resolution the nature thereof and the approximate amount to be so expended. Thereupon the commission shall designate the time when it will meet at its usual place

of meeting to receive proposals in writing for doing the work or furnishing the materials

in accordance with, and upon the terms and conditions of, such form of contract or

alternative contracts, and shall order its clerk to give notice, by advertisement

inserted at least 10 days before the time of such meeting in at least two newspapers

printed and circulating in the county or counties in which the municipalities in said

water supply project are situated, of the work to be done and the materials to be

furnished, particular plans and specifications of which shall, at the time of such

order, be filed in the office of the commission. All proposals shall be publicly opened by the commission, which shall award the contract

to the lowest responsible and qualified bidder under the form of the contract originally

adopted or the form of the alternative contract which shall then be adopted by it

as most advantageous. Each contractor shall be required to give bond satisfactory in amount and security

to the commission for the faithful performance of his contract. b. The Governor, in consultation with the Department of the Treasury, shall, no later

than March 1 of each odd-numbered year, adjust the threshold amount set forth in subsection

a. of this section, or subsequent to 1985 the threshold amount resulting from any

adjustment under this subsection or section 17 of P.L. 1985, c. 469, 1 in direct proportion to the rise or fall of the Consumer Price Index for all urban

consumers in the New York City and the Philadelphia areas as reported by the United

States Department of Labor. The Governor shall, no later than June 1 of each odd-numbered year, notify each

commission of the adjustment. The adjustment shall become effective on July 1 of each odd-numbered year. 1

N.J.S.A. § 18A:39-3 note.