[HISTORY: Adopted by the Township Committee of the Township of Lumberton 10-19-1998
by Ord. No. 1998-31. Amendments noted where applicable.]
A.
Any person claiming payment from the township shall present
a detailed bill of demand to the Township Treasurer and/or Chief Financial
Officer, duly certified, or in the alternative, supported by an affidavit
of the claimant. It shall be the duty of the Treasurer to see that the signature
of the officer or employee who has been duly assigned by the Township Committee
to certify that the materials have been received by or the services have been
rendered to the township appears on every claim. The Treasurer shall prepare
a voucher list and submit it to the Township Committee prior to any regular
meeting, or to a special meeting so long as the agenda has been amended to
reflect same, for formal approval. Claims shall be considered by the Township
Committee which shall approve the same, except that the Committee may reject
any claims presented to it stating the reason for such rejection. Any disapproved
claim shall be referred back to the Township Treasurer with such instructions
as the Committee may give at the time of disapproval. The Township Clerk shall
record all claims in the official minutes, indicating that the Township Committee
has by formal action approved the same with the appropriate record as to any
claims disapproved or rejected. The claims shall also be listed on an appropriate
voucher list. The voucher list shall be so captioned that the minute records
shall clearly indicate that the claim had been considered by the Committee
and approval has been given thereto. It shall be the duty of the Clerk, or
such other officer designated by resolution of the Township Committee, to
indicate on the voucher list that claims have been approved for payment with
the date of approval thereof noted on the voucher list. After certifying that
the claims have been approved, the Clerk shall turn over the same to the Treasurer
or Chief Financial Officer, who shall forthwith prepare the necessary check(s)
for the payment thereof. The check shall be signed by two of the following:
the Treasurer, the Chief Financial Officer (unless they be one and the same),
the Mayor, the Deputy Mayor and/or the Clerk. After preparing checks for the
payment of claims, the Treasurer shall record them in proper books of account
and, once signed, shall mail or otherwise distribute the checks to the claimants.
B.
Professionals and vendors.
[Added 6-21-2004 by Ord. No. 2004-19]
(1)
Time for submission of claims/vouchers, professionals and vendors.
All professionals and vendors shall submit vouchers for services rendered
in such fashion that the last date reflected in the voucher for the rending
of a service or services to the Township shall have been performed within
60 days of the date of submission of the claim. For example, a professional
or vendor who performs services on a regular basis shall submit a bill for
services rendered for the month of January by no later than April 1 of the
same calendar year. Professionals and vendors whose bills are being charged
against escrow accounts shall make every effort to submit their bills in an
even more timely fashion. Failure to submit bills within 60 days of the date
of rendering services, unless otherwise agreed upon by the Township Committee,
may result in nonpayment, or substantially delayed payment.
[Added6-21-2004 by Ord. No. 2004-19[1]]
(2)
Condominium/homeowers' associations reimbursement requests. All
condominium and homeowners' associations, and such other qualified private
communities as are eligible for reimbursement under the Condominium Reimbursement
Act, N.J.S.A. 40:67-23.2 et seq., shall submit their claims for reimbursement
within 60 days of the beginning of the calendar year so as to allow the Township
Committee to consider said requests as part of its annual budget adoption
process. Any such association or qualified private community which fails to
meet the deadline established herein shall risk having to wait until the following
calendar year to have said reimbursement claim budgeted. Nothing herein contained
shall require the Township Committee to pay any monies to such an association
or qualified private community in a calendar year in which said reimbursement
claim is not submitted within the timeframes set forth herein. Conversely,
nothing herein contained shall preclude the Township Committee, in its sole
and unfettered discretion, from determining to make payment to, or partial
payment to, said association or qualified private community, notwithstanding
their failure to submit within the timeframe set forth herein, if the Township
Committee determines that monies are available and otherwise properly budgeted
for said purpose. Failure of the Township Committee to make payment to such
an association or qualified private community, in any calendar year, as a
result of the failure to meet the deadline set forth herein, shall also exempt
the Township from having to pay interest in said sums when they are ultimately
disbursed.
C.
Exception. Notwithstanding the foregoing, moneys paid
by the Court Administrator out of either the Bail Account or Current Account,
and by the Tax Collector out of the Tax Lien Certificate Trust Fund, will
not be required to be filed with the Township Committee before authorization.
Instead, payment can be made from said accounts as follows: from the Court's
Bail and Current Accounts, either by signature of the Court Administrator,
and/or in her absence, Deputy Court Administrator and/or the Judge; and from
the Tax Sale Certificate Trust Fund, by the Tax Collector, Deputy Tax Collector
or the Chief Financial Officer. In addition, the Township Committee shall
be free, from time to time, and resolution duly adopted by a majority of the
governing body, to identify other accounts which may, at the Committee's
discretion, be treated differently so long as same continue to conform to
the provisions of the Local Fiscal Affairs Law, N.J.S.A. 40A:5-1 et seq.
There shall be an account to be designated "the Township Payroll Account,"
and from time to time the Township Treasurer, upon receipt of a warrant or
an amount due such payroll account, shall deposit the same to the credit of
the payroll account, charging the appropriate budgetary accounts therewith.
Disbursement from the payroll account may be made by the payroll checks and
shall be signed by two of the following: the Treasurer, the Chief Financial
Officer (unless they be one and the same), the Mayor, the Deputy Mayor and/or
the Township Clerk. Prior to payroll checks being signed, if there is any
deviation or variance from normal working hours, and/or if any sick leave,
vacation days or other benefits apply which would adjust the normal weekly
payroll for that employee, then authorization for same, or other appropriate
notations, must be certified to by the several department and office heads
responsible for that particular employee. In the case of reimbursement for
action and necessary travel expenses, itemized claims supported by receipts,
where available, shall be presented within 10 days after completion of travel
in order to obtain reimbursement for expenses incurred by Township officials
who are authorized to travel by request of the Township Committee. In case
of error or adjustment in the payroll, the Treasurer shall make proper corrections
and an appropriate record of such corrections.
