[HISTORY: Adopted by the Township Committee
of the Township of Kingwood 12-17-1984 by Ord. No. 5-5-84.[1] Amendments noted where applicable.]
[1]
Editor's Note: This ordinance also provided
for the repeal of former Ch. 7, Claims Procedure, adopted 2-15-1964,
as amended.
Any person claiming payment from the Township
of Kingwood shall first submit a detailed statement of the items or
demand necessitating such claim, specifying particularly how the bill
or demand is made up, with the certification of the party claiming
payment that it is correct. (See N.J.S.A. 40A:5-16a.)
[Amended 9-16-1991 by Ord. No. 7-7-91]
No bill, claim or demand shall be considered
for payment unless, prior to the purchase or order for such goods
or services, the appropriate department head or municipal official
shall have first conferred with the Chief Financial Officer for the
purpose of ascertaining the existence of adequate funds for such purchase
and for the purpose of encumbering such funds and, subsequent to the
purchase of goods or services, the voucher presented has attached
to it or includes a certification of the municipal officer or duly
designated Township employee having personal knowledge of the facts
that the goods have been received by or the services rendered to the
Township of Kingwood and that the funds for payment of such goods
and services have been previously encumbered through the Chief Financial
Officer. (See N.J.S.A. 40A:5-16b.)
[Amended 9-16-1991 by Ord. No. 7-7-91]
The Chief Financial Officer is hereby designated as the certifying and approval officer of the Township of Kingwood, and the Chief Financial Officer's duties shall include the making of certifications required by § 7-2 above, ascertaining the existence of proper and sufficient appropriations for the encumbrances and payments to be made and determining that there is authority for the payments, evidenced by action of a purchasing department or agent or officer in respect to the goods or services ordered and the incurring of the encumbrance and expense therefor. [See N.J.S.A. 40A:5-17a(1) and (2)].
[Amended 9-16-1991 by Ord. No. 7-7-91]
All bills or claims duly certified shall be
presented to the Chief Financial Officer not later than five days
prior to the Township Committee meeting at which the same will be
considered. It shall be the duty of the Chief Financial Officer 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 governing body shall be listed systematically
and without preference, and said list shall be made available to every
member of the Township Committee prior to formal action by that body.
[Amended 9-16-1991 by Ord. No. 7-7-91]
The Township Committee shall approve or disapprove
all claims in the manner prescribed by this chapter and in accordance
with the law. If the Township Committee shall reject any claim presented
to it, it shall state the reason for such rejection, and the disapproved
claim shall be referred back to the Chief Financial Officer with such
instructions as the Township Committee may give at the time of disapproval.
If it appears to the Township Committee that
any claim requires further study or investigation, the Township Committee
may withhold action on the claim for a reasonable period of time pending
further study or investigation.
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 governing body has by formal
action approved the same with appropriate records as to any claims
disapproved or rejected. All records pertaining to approved or disapproved
bills or claims shall be available for public inspection.
[Amended 9-16-1991 by Ord. No. 7-7-91]
The Chief Financial Officer shall make disbursements
upon receipt of an order by the Township Committee, attested by the
Township Clerk.
[Amended 9-16-1991 by Ord. No. 7-7-91; 11-4-2021 by Ord. No. 21-20-2021]
After the Clerk has certified that the claims
have been approved, the Clerk shall turn the same over to the Chief
Financial Officer, who shall forthwith prepare the necessary checks
for the payment thereof; said checks shall be signed by the Mayor
or Deputy Mayor and by the Chief Financial Officer and by the Clerk
or Deputy Clerk. In the case of salaries, wages and other compensation
to individuals for services where remuneration has been set by municipal
ordinance or resolution, payment may be made by check drawn by any
one of the following five officers: the Mayor, Deputy Mayor, Clerk,
Deputy Clerk, or Township Committee Person, and countersigned by the
Chief Financial Officer. After preparing checks for the payment of
claims, the Chief Financial Officer shall record them in proper books
of account. The Clerk shall mail or deliver the checks to the claimants.[1]
