[HISTORY: Adopted by the Mayor and Council
of the Borough of Essex Fells 9-17-1963 by Ord. No. 347 (Ch. 3.12 of the 1992
Code). Amendments noted where applicable.]
Any person claiming any payment from the Borough
shall present to the Borough Clerk a detailed bill of demand (in this
chapter called a "voucher") certified by the claimant or, in the alternative,
supported by an affidavit of the claimant.
It is the duty of the Clerk to see that every
voucher is mathematically correct and that the officer or employee
of the Borough duly designated to certify that the materials have
been received, or the services rendered as claimed in the bill, affixes
his signature thereto.
Each voucher shall then be submitted to the
chairman of the committee responsible for the work, material or services
for which the claim is made or, in the absence of the chairman, by
another member of the committee, who, if satisfied as to the propriety
of the claim, shall sign his approval thereon. After such approval
the chairman shall return the voucher to the Clerk, who shall then
present the same to the Council for formal approval at a regular meeting.
A list or schedule of all claims to be presented
at each regular meeting of the Council shall be made available by
the Clerk to the Mayor and each member of the Council at least three
days prior to the date of the meeting at which the same will be considered.
Every claim must be approved by the Mayor, or
Acting Mayor, either by signing the voucher therefor before formal
action thereon by the Council or by endorsing on the schedule of claims
approved by the Council his certificate that he has examined and approved
the same for payment. Such approval by the Mayor or Acting Mayor shall
be noted in the minutes of the meeting at which the claims are approved.
Every claim shall be considered by the Council
and approved at a regular meeting, or if rejected, the reason for
such rejection shall be stated. Each rejected claim shall be referred
back to the Clerk with instructions as to the action thereon to be
taken by him.
The Borough Clerk shall see that a record of
all claims considered at each meeting of the Council and the action
taken thereon shall be incorporated in the minutes of the meeting.
The date of approval of each claim approved
shall be endorsed on the voucher by the Clerk, who shall then turn
the same over to the Chief Financial Officer, who shall forthwith
prepare the necessary check for payment thereof and shall also cause
the same to be entered in the ledger of claims maintained for that
purpose.
Payrolls shall be prepared by the Borough Chief
Financial Officer upon certifications by the appropriate department
heads or other persons authorized to certify that services have been
rendered by employees of the Borough and that the amounts specified
are in fact due to the respective employees, and shall then be submitted
to the Mayor and Council for approval in like manner as other claims.
Payrolls shall be paid from the payroll account by resolution of the
Council and in the manner prescribed by such resolution.
