[HISTORY: Adopted by the Mayor and Common Council of the City of
Westminster as Ch. 18, Art. I, § 18-5, and Art. II, of the 1972
Code, as amended through 1990. Subsequent amendments noted where applicable.]
The Department of Finance is hereby created.
The City Treasurer shall be ex officio Director of the Department of
Finance.
The Director of the Department of Finance shall be responsible for the
general supervision and administration of the Department, including correlation
and preparation of the City's budget; collection of taxes, general revenue
and other City income; utility billing; internal audit of the City's finances;
administrative control of purchases; and the preparation of reports; and he
shall cause to be maintained the necessary and proper records in connection
with such functions and duties as the legislative body shall prescribe.
All officers and employees of the Department of Finance shall perform
such duties not inconsistent with this chapter as the Director of the Department
may from time to time assign or prescribe.
The Director of the Department of Finance shall make periodic reports
on the financial condition, organization, personnel and other matters affecting
or reflecting upon the Department to the legislative body.
[Amended 5-31-1991 by Ord.
No. 547; 4-26-2006 by Ord. No. 750]
The Director of the Department of Finance shall, in addition to other
requirements of this chapter, prepare a budget request for the activities
under his supervision and submit it to the City Administrator for review and
correlation with budget requests of other department heads.
[Amended 5-31-1991 by Ord.
No. 547]
The Department of Finance shall include the City Treasurer, the Assistant
City Treasurer, the Cashier, and such other personnel as the legislative body
may authorize from time to time and who shall be hired by the Mayor upon recommendation
of the Director of the Department of Finance to fill any vacant position or
grade authorized by the legislative body.
[Amended 5-31-1991 by Ord.
No. 547; 4-26-2006 by Ord. No. 750]
The Cashier shall be chosen solely on the basis of qualifications to perform the duties of the office. He shall be appointed for an indefinite term as provided in § 29-3.
[Amended 4-14-2003 by Ord. No. 699]
A.
The duties of the Assistant City Treasurer shall include
supervision of the Cashier, the disbursement of budgeted funds for approved
purchases, payrolls, services and expenditures and for the recording and posting
thereof to the applicable financial records; assisting in the preparation
of reports, summaries, balances and other accounting information required
by the approved accounting system; verifying daily cash receipts; and performing
such other general accounting duties as the City Treasurer may assign.
B.
The duties of the Assistant City Treasurer shall include
the inspection and administrative control of additions and discontinuance
of users of the sanitary sewer service, the verification and administration
of the City's accounts payable, the establishment and maintenance of a perpetual
inventory of the City's property and materials, the establishment and maintenance
of a purchase control system and the performance of such other general administrative
and clerical duties as the Director of the Department of Finance may assign.The
inventory of property herein referred to shall include a record of rents and
revenues therefrom, if any, and a record of insurance thereon and premiums
for such insurance..
C.
The Assistant City Treasurer shall assume the powers and duties
of the Director of the Department of Finance when the Director is absent or
disabled, unless otherwise provided by the legislative body.
[Amended 3-28-2005 by Ord. No. 730]
The City Treasurer shall pay all bills of the City when such bills have
been approved or passed by the Common Council; keep true and just accounts
of all receipts and disbursements in such manner as may now or hereinafter
be required; and submit his accounts for an auditing and examination to the
legislative body as often and at such times as it may require.
A.
Collection of sidewalk paving assessments and other assessments
and penalties. It shall be the duty of the City Treasurer to collect all money
due and owing the City for grading and paving or repairing sidewalks from
persons who have refused or neglected to pay such money, and he shall also
collect from all persons the amount of benefits assessed against them respectively
under and by any ordinance of the City and collect any other money or penalties
due the City when required so to do by the legislative body.
B.
Collection of delinquent real property taxes. The City
Treasurer shall utilize the provisions of Part III, Title 14 of the Tax-Property
Article of the Annotated Code of Maryland or as it may be amended to collect
delinquent real property taxes.
C.
Collection of delinquent personal property taxes by suit
and execution. With respect to taxes solely on personal property, the City
Treasurer is hereby directed to bring a proper suit for such taxes as soon
as may be practical after the expiration of two years from the date such taxes
became in arrears and, after securing judgment, to execute on such judgment
for the amount thereof.
[Added 4-14-2003 by Ord. No. 699[1]]
A.
The City Treasurer shall have the authority to obtain a corporate
credit card(s) in the name of the City for carrying out the municipal purposes
of the City of Westminster. The obtaining of credit shall constitute a pledge
of the full faith and credit of the Mayor and Common Council of Westminster.
B.
The use of the corporate credit card shall be for the express
purpose of obtaining or procuring goods or services as approved or passed
by the Common Council. The City Treasurer shall keep true and just accounts
of all receipts and disbursements in such manner as may now or hereinafter
be required; submit his accounts for an auditing and examination to the legislative
body as often and at such times as it may require. The aggregate amount of
such credit at any one time under the authority of this section shall not
exceed $60,000. The City Treasurer shall approve the delegation of signature
authority, in writing, to other officers or employees of the City, where the
City Treasurer deems it appropriate, necessary and in the best interest of
the City. The City Treasurer is authorized to adopt such rules and policies
as are necessary to carry out the provisions of this chapter.
[Amended 3-28-2005 by Ord. No. 730]
[Amended 4-14-2003 by Ord. No. 699]
Except for such amount of petty cash, not exceeding $2,000 at any one
time, as may be authorized by the legislative body to be kept on hand in a
secure place within the office of the Department of Finance, all cash and
funds of the City shall be maintained on deposit in such lawful depository
or depositories as may be designated by the legislative body for such purpose
and shall be subject to withdrawal only by checks, debit memorandum or electronic
funds transfers, as approved or signed and countersigned by such officers
as the legislative body shall from time to time designate by resolution.
