[HISTORY: Adopted by the Mayor and Council of the Borough of Closter
11-22-1967 by Ord. No. 1967:179 as Ch. 26 of the 1967 Code. Amendments noted
where applicable.]
[Amended 12-22-2003 by Ord. No. 2003:910]
Any person claiming payment of moneys from the Borough of Closter shall
first present a detailed bill of items or demand for which payment is claimed,
with the certification of the party claiming payment that it is correct. The
Borough Council may, by resolution, require an affidavit in lieu of said certification,
and the Chief Financial Officer or Borough Treasurer may take such affidavit
without cost.
[Amended 1-3-1994 by Ord. No. 1993:663]
No moneys of the Borough of Closter shall be paid out for any claim
unless it carries the certification of some officer or duly designated employee
of the borough, having knowledge of the facts, that the goods or services
for which payment is claimed have been received by or the services rendered
to the borough. The certification required by this section shall be made by
a person other than the person claiming payment. The Borough Council shall,
by resolution, designate department heads authorized to make the certification
required by this section.
[Amended 12-22-2003 by Ord. No. 2003:910]
A.Â
Claims submitted in writing upon voucher forms authorized or
approved by the Borough Council shall specify particularly how the bill or
demand is made up, including the quantities of goods or the scope of the services
delivered or rendered and the dates when such goods were delivered or services
rendered.
B.Â
Disbursements made by procurement card shall appear on computer-generated
paper monthly statements from the approved financial institution issuing said
procurement card, indicating the name of the vendor, the date and amount of
purchase, and the balance of the procurement card account. Procurement card
statements shall also be available via the internet to the Chief Financial
Officer and all persons designated to oversee the use of such procurement
cards.
Claims by borough officials and employees for reimbursement of necessary
and actual traveling expenses and for reasonable subsistence, lodging and
necessary incidental expenses incurred in connection with borough business
shall be paid when such business and expenses have been authorized or ratified
by the Borough Council. In addition to the other requirements of this chapter,
claims for reimbursement of such expenses shall, when available, be supported
by itemized and receipted bills, which shall be attached to and submitted
with the voucher claiming payment.
[Amended 12-22-2003 by Ord. No. 2003:910]
Vouchers claiming payment shall be presented to the Chief Financial Officer. It shall be the duty of the Chief Financial Officer or such other officer or employee designated by resolution of the Borough Council to review such vouchers and determine whether such vouchers are proper in form and content. It shall be the further duty of the Chief Financial Officer or the Chief Financial Officer's designee to determine that a proper certification and signature of an officer or duly designated employee of the borough appears on such vouchers pursuant to § 9-2 of this article. Improperly submitted vouchers shall be returned by the Chief Financial Officer or the Chief Financial Officer's designee to the claimant for compliance with this article.
[Amended 12-22-2003 by Ord. No. 2003:910]
Properly submitted vouchers and documents in support thereof shall be
forwarded by the Chief Financial Officer or Chief Financial Officer's designee
to the committee of the Borough Council which has jurisdiction of the subject
matter of the claim. Such committee shall review and consider the claim and
shall approve or disapprove the same. Such committee shall then forward the
voucher and supporting documents to the Finance Committee of the Borough Council,
which shall review and consider the claim and shall approve or disapprove
of the same. In the event that any such committee disapproves of a claim,
a statement to such effect, together with the reasons for such disapproval,
shall be made on a separate writing and shall be attached to the voucher.
When there is no committee which is responsible for the subject matter of
the claim or when there is any doubt as to the proper committee which has
jurisdiction thereof, such claim shall be forwarded directly to the Finance
Committee.
[Amended 12-22-2003 by Ord. No. 2003:910]
Each claim shall be considered by the Borough Council which shall, by
resolution, approve of reject the claim. When any claim is rejected by the
Borough Council, the reasons for such rejection shall be recorded in the minutes
of the meeting at which such action was taken, and the claim shall be returned
to the Chief Financial Officer or the Chief Financial Officer's designee with
such instructions as the Borough Council may determine. The Chief Financial
Officer or the Chief Financial Officer's designee shall notify the claimant
of such rejection by certified mail sent within five days after action of
the Borough Council. Upon written request of the claimant submitted to the
Chief Financial Officer within 10 days after receipt of notice of the rejection
of the claim (or such additional time as the Borough Council may allow), the
claimant shall be afforded a public hearing on such claim, said hearing to
be held not later than the second regular meeting of the Borough Council held
following receipt of the claimant's request therefor.
Except in the case of veto, it shall be the duty of the Mayor to sign
the approving resolution or schedule of claims approved by the Borough Council,
and the Mayor's signature on any such approving resolution or schedule of
claims shall signify that he or she has examined the same and has officially
approved the claims covered thereby for payment.
The action of the Borough Council in approving or rejecting claims shall
be recorded in the official minutes of its proceedings. Each claim approved
for payment shall be tabulated and listed in such minutes or in a separate
register of approved claims maintained by the Borough Clerk, and such minutes
and register shall be open to inspection by the public.
[Amended 12-22-2003 by Ord. No. 2003:910]
The Chief Financial Officer or Chief Financial Officer's designee or
such other officer or employee designated by resolution of the Borough Council
shall indicate on the voucher for each claim which has been approved that
such claim has been approved for payment and the date of such approval.
[Amended 12-22-2003 by Ord. No. 2003:910]
A.Â
Payment by check. After the Chief Financial Officer or the Chief Financial Officer's designee has certified that a claim has been approved, he or she shall forward such claim to the Borough Treasurer, who shall thereupon prepare the necessary checks for the payment thereof, unless payment is to be made in accordance with Subsection B hereof. Any such check, drawn on the Borough Treasurer or other such custodian of Borough funds, shall be signed by the Mayor and shall be countersigned by the Borough Treasurer. The Borough Treasurer shall record such checks for the payment of claims in proper books of account of the Borough maintained therefor and shall thereafter mail or otherwise distribute such checks to the claimants.
B.Â
Payment by procurement card. Payment for goods provided
and services rendered to the Borough may be made by procurement card in accordance
with the provisions of N.J.A.C. 5:309A-1 et seq. and N.J.S.A. 40A:5-16.
(1)Â
Policies and procedures governing the use of procurement
cards. The Chief Financial Officer, with the advice of the Mayor and Council,
shall establish policies and procedures governing the use of procurement cards
by persons authorized to use such procurement cards. A copy of said policies
and procedures shall be given to each officer and employee whose duties include
the use, supervision of the use or reconciliation of the use of procurement
cards.
(2)Â
Persons authorized to use procurement cards. In accordance
with the provisions of N.J.A.C. 5:30-9A.4(a)(3), the Borough Administrator,
with the advice and consent of the Chief Financial Officer, will identify
those officers or employees who will benefit from the use of procurement cards
and shall establish limits by amount, period (time) and category of usage
permissible. The Chief Financial Officer shall designate an individual to
conduct supervisory reviews of procurement card use by those persons authorized
to use procurement cards.
(3)Â
Permitted uses.
(a)Â
Procurement cards may be used only to pay for goods and services provided to the Borough as governed by N.J.A.C. 5:309A-1 et seq. and N.J.S.A. 40A:5-16. Specific purposes for the use of procurement cards shall be authorized by resolution of the Mayor and Council, except for those uses listed in § 9-11B(3)(b).
(b)Â
Procurement cards may be used by authorized personnel
without prior approval by resolution of the Mayor and Council for the following:
office supplies with individual value of less than $300, membership dues,
publication or subscriptions, auto parts and supplies with individual values
of less than $150, parts and repairs necessary for the comfortable occupancy
of the municipal building not to exceed $500, and payment of the Borough's
utility bills.
(c)Â
Personal use of procurement cards is prohibited. Procurement
cards shall not be used for transactions exceeding 15% of the Borough's
bid threshold.
Nothing contained in this chapter shall be deemed or construed to authorize
the payment of any claim for which available funds for the payment thereof
have not been appropriated in the local budget of the Borough of Closter for
the current year or for a prior year or otherwise made available according
to law.
