Any person claiming payment from the Borough of Collingswood shall first
submit a detailed statement of the items or demand necessitating such claim
to the responsible executive agency, specifying particularly how the bill
or demand is made up and a certification of the party claiming payment that
it is correct. No bill, claim or demand shall be considered for payment unless
the voucher includes a certification from a designated borough employee having
personal knowledge of the facts that the goods have been received by or the
services rendered to the Borough of Collingswood and that those services or
goods are consistent with an existing contract or purchase order. The Treasurer
shall have the duty to audit, warrant and make recommendations on all claims
and bills.
The bill or claim, duly certified, shall be presented to the Municipal
Clerk for inclusion in the proceedings of the next immediate formal meeting
of the Board of Commissioners, and it shall be the duty of the Clerk to examine
all bills or claims submitted for payment in order to ascertain if proper
administrative procedures have been followed. All claims or bills to be considered
by the Board of Commissioners shall be listed systematically and without preference.
Claims shall be considered by the Board of Commissioners which shall
approve the same, except that it may reject any claim presented to it, stating
the reason for such rejection. Any disapproved claim shall be referred back
to the Municipal Clerk with such instructions as the Board of Commissioners
may give at the time of disapproval.
It shall be the duty of the Municipal Clerk to record all claims in
the official minutes or through an appropriate claims register, indicating
that the Board of Commissioners has, by formal action, approved the same,
with appropriate records as to any claims disapproved or rejected. All records
pertaining to approved or disapproved bills or claims shall be available for
public inspection.
After the Clerk has certified that the claims have been approved, he
shall turn the same over to the Treasurer, who shall forthwith prepare the
necessary checks for the payment thereof, which said checks shall be signed
by the Treasurer. After preparing checks for the payment of claims, he shall
record them in proper books of account and thereafter mail the checks to the
claimants.