"The Dept. of Mental Health and Mental Retardation Finance Division is responsible for coordinating and providing centralized accounting and financial services for the department." (1987-1988 Annual Report). In addition, the department is authorized to enter into contracts with any other state or federal agency or with any private person, organizatin, or group...if it finds such action to be in the public interest (Ala.Code, 22-5-11.4). Consequently, many of the financial records of the department are not duplicated in the Department of Finance. This series consists of contracts prepared to support items purchased from vendors who submitted the lowest bids. Documents included in the series are: copies of the contract, correspondence between the department and the vendor, proposals furnished by the vendor, price lists, and any other information supplementing the contract. The types of products supplied by these contracts include; hospitals equipment, typewriters, dictation machines, answering services, paint, janitorial supplies, diapers, uniforms, bakery products, medication, food management services, etc. Information available in the records includes name of contractor, amount was issued in, and dates of payments.
