Any person claiming payment from the Township of Buena Vista
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 has attached to it or
includes a certification of a department head, or other municipal
official responsible for certain functions, or of his duly designated
representative, having personal knowledge of the facts that the goods
have been received by or the services rendered to the Township of
Buena Vista and that those services or goods are consistent with any
existing contract or purchase order. The chief financial officer shall
have the duty to audit, warrant and made recommendations on all claims
and bills.
The bill or claim duly certified shall be presented to the Municipal
Clerk for inclusion in the agenda of the next immediate formal meeting
of the governing body, 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. This review responsibility
may be assigned to the chief financial officer if desired. All claims
or bills to be considered by the governing body shall be listed systematically
without preference, and said list shall be made available to every
member of said governing body at least three full days prior to formal
action by that body.
Claims shall be considered by the governing body, which shall
approve same, except that said governing body 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 governing body 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 governing body has by formal action approved same,
with appropriate record as to any claims disapproved or rejected.
All records pertaining to approved and disapproved bills or claims
shall be available for public inspection.
After the Clerk has certified that the claims have been approved,
he shall turn same over to the Treasurer or other chief financial
officer, who shall forthwith prepare the necessary checks for the
payment thereof, which checks shall be signed by the Mayor and thereafter
signed by the Treasurer or other chief financial officer. 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.