The county has recently advertised for bids for some radio equipment for the sheriff's office. The bids are supposed to be opened on Friday. Apparently, no one has submitted a bid. The auditor has asked me (because the commissioners have asked her) if the county can then just go out and purchase this stuff outright from the local radio place (who picked up a packet and has not bid).

I have said NO because that would defeat the purpose of the purchasing act and allow this business to forego having to risk losing profit by having to submit a competitive bid.

I am pretty sure I am right, but I have not found anything to rest this conclusion on, and I would appreciate some validation (or correction) from this august group of minds.

Well in the absence of a statutory exemption the Purchasing Act controls as it did before. So it looks to me like there is authority for your opinion.