[HISTORY: Adopted by the Township Committee of the Township of Readington
as indicated in article histories. Amendments noted where applicable.]
[Adopted 6-20-1994]
No action shall be brought against the Township of Readington unless
the claim upon which it is based shall have been presented in strict compliance
with the requirements of the Tort Claims Act, N.J.S.A. 59:1-1 et seq., and
any amendments thereto. Such notice of claim shall be filed on the form specified
by the Township of Readington and in the manner and time as established by
the Tort Claims Act.
There is hereby adopted as the regulation of the Township of Readington
for the presentation of claims against the municipality under the Tort Claims
Act, N.J.S.A. 59:1-1 et seq., a form entitled "Notice of Claim Against the
Township of Readington," which is on file in the office of the Township Clerk.
[Adopted during codification (see Ch. 1, General Provisions, Art.
II)]
Any person claiming payment from the Township of Readington 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 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 Readington 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 make recommendations on all claims
and bills.
The bill or claim duly certified shall be presented to the Township
Clerk for inclusion in the agenda of the next immediate formal meeting of
the Township Committee, and it shall be the duty of the Administrator 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 Township Committee shall be listed systematically without preference.
Claims shall be considered by the Township Committee, which shall approve
the same, except that said Township Committee may reject any claims presented
to it, stating the reason for such rejection. Any disapproved claim shall
be referred back to the Administrator with such instructions as the Township
Committee may give at the time of disapproval.
It shall be the duty of the Township Clerk to record all claims in the
official minutes or through an appropriate claims register, indicating that
the Township Committee has by formal action approved the 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 the same over to the Treasurer or other Chief Financial Officer,
who shall forthwith prepare the necessary checks for the payment thereof,
which said 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.
