Borough of South River, NJ Chapter 31 Claims Approval

[HISTORY: Adopted by the Mayor and Council of the Borough of South River 2-9-1977 by Ord. No. 1977-6 (Ch. 16 of the 1977 Code); amended in its entirety 4-4-1990 by Ord. No. 1990-26. Subsequent amendments noted where applicable.]

§ 31-1 Available funds required.

No department, office or agency of the Borough shall expend or commit any funds of the Borough unless the Treasurer or Chief Financial Officer shall first certify, in writing, that there is an unencumbered balance of appropriation and funds available for the purpose requested within that department, office or agency's approved budget.

§ 31-2 Purchase order form required.

Prior to the purchase of any nonbid and noncontractual items, the appropriate department head or Committee Chairman shall obtain and prepare a requisition purchase order form for the acquisition of said items or services.

§ 31-3 Processing of form.

A. The appropriate department head or Committee Chairman shall procure from the prospective vendor the costs or value of the proposed purchase and shall include the same on the appropriate requisition purchase order form.

B. After completion and execution of the appropriate requisition purchase order form by the department head, the same shall be submitted to the Treasurer or Chief Financial Officer, as set forth in § 31-1 above, for certification of the necessary funds.

C. After the Treasurer or Chief Financial Officer shall certify the same, in writing, as required in § 31-1 above, the completed requisition purchase order form and certification shall be submitted for approval to the Councilman in charge of the department in question.

D. Upon approval of the purchase by the Councilman in charge of the department or a member of his/her committee, the completed requisition purchase order form and certification shall be provided to the Treasurer or Finance Department for processing.

§ 31-4 Certified vouchers required.

Prior to the payment of any bill, claim or demand against the Borough, the department head, Board Chairman or other responsible officer shall certify that the materials, supplies or equipment have been received according to a purchase order system or that the work, labor or services shall have been rendered according to order or contract. A voucher on a form prescribed by the Treasurer shall be presented for each bill, claim or demand.

§ 31-5 Preparation of list for Council meeting.

[Amended 2-23-2009 by Ord. No. 2009-5]

A. The Chief Financial Officer shall prepare for each regular meeting of the Council a list of all bills, claims and vouchers to be paid and "previously paid" as hereinafter defined. Such list shall be prepared in sufficient quantity for each member of the Council and the Mayor, and at least one copy shall be filed in the office of the Borough Clerk as a public record open to examination. All vouchers that are presented for payment shall be in a format which includes a list of vouchers indicating each payee, description of claim and amount thereof. The list of vouchers shall be approved or disapproved pursuant to a formal resolution requiring a majority vote of the Mayor and Council at a regular or special meeting.

B. All invoices or bills to the Borough for statutory or mandated payments required for debt service, county and school levy apportionments, employers' contributions to state pension systems, insurance premiums, electric, telephone and natural gas utilities, operating lease payments, tax title lien redemptions, postage, payroll processing service fees, utility billing processing fees, and similar nondiscretionary expenses such as bulk water purchases, purchased power and related expenses, recycling services, solid waste disposal, interlocal services, state agencies for locally generated revenue and fees, i.e., marriage license, construction code, animal control and similar fees, interfund advances and liquidation, gasoline or diesel fuel purchases under state contract and execution of wire transfers for named vendors or services as enumerated herein may be made by the Chief Financial Officer and included on the list of vouchers presented at the next regular meeting of the Mayor and Council as "previously paid" bills but only if such payments are approved in advance by the Borough Administrator upon receipt of properly executed vouchers.

§ 31-6 Disbursement procedures.

After Council approval has been given, disbursements shall be made by a check or draft signed by the Mayor and countersigned by the Treasurer; payroll checks shall be signed by the Mayor and countersigned by the Treasurer upon certification by the Clerk of the total payroll.[1]

[1] Editor's Note: Former § 31-7, Recurring bulk water and interlocal telecommunications payments, added 2-23-2004 by Ord. No. 2004-6, was repealed 2-23-2009 by Ord. No. 2009-5. See now § 31-5.