[HISTORY: Adopted by the Township Committee
of the Township of Pennsauken 2-13-1987 by Ord. No. 87-4; amended
in its entirety at time of adoption of Code (see Ch. 1, General Provisions,
Art. I). Subsequent amendments noted where applicable.]
Unless otherwise provided for elsewhere in this
chapter, the following procedure is established for the payment of
claims made to the Township of Pennsauken:
A.
All claims submitted to the Township shall be on the
forms prescribed by the Township. The claim submitted on the prescribed
form shall first be transmitted to the department from which the claim
was originated to be executed by the department head. The signature
of the department head shall certify that the goods or services ordered
have been received to his or her satisfaction.
B.
The claim on the prescribed form will then be transmitted
to the Municipal Finance Officer for his or her execution. The Municipal
Finance Officer's signature shall certify that the claim is a proper
claim as provided for in the municipal budget and also that adjustments
made to the claim are proper.
C.
The claim on the prescribed form will then be transmitted
to the Municipal Administrator for his or her execution. The Municipal
Administrator's signature shall certify and confirm that the claim
is proper as provided for in the municipal budget and that any deviations
from the budget have been approved by him or her and are as prescribed
by law.
D.
The claim on the prescribed form will then be transmitted
to the member of the Township Committee who has been directed by the
Mayor to be the Committee person in charge of the department in which
the claim originated. The Township Committee person's signature certifies
that he or she is aware of the claim and is rendering final approval
of the claim.
E.
Upon the receipt of a claim on the form prescribed
by the Township which has been fully executed in the aforestated manner,
the Municipal Finance Officer is then authorized to include that claim
on the next available bill list for presentation to the governing
body of the Township of Pennsauken at the next available public meeting
for its approval.
A.
Notwithstanding the procedure stated in § 20-1 described herein, the following categories of claims are hereby exempted from that procedure: refunds authorized by resolutions, bank disbursements, insurance disbursements, miscellaneous allowances, tax disbursements, pension disbursements, utility disbursements, petty cash disbursements and postmaster, public assistance and monthly contractual disbursements.
B.
The Municipal Finance Officer is hereby authorized and is designated as the certifying and approval officer of the claims described in Subsection A above and will make payment on checks drawn on the municipality to be signed by the Mayor, the Township Clerk and countersigned by the Treasurer, or their respective designees, in a timely fashion without the benefit of the governing body's approval.
C.
The Municipal Finance Officer, acting in his or her
capacity as the certifying and approval officer of the aforestated
claims, shall prepare and execute a certification that there exists
proper and sufficient appropriations for their payment, that he or
she has determined that there is a legal authority for the payment
and that he or she is satisfied that the goods or services ordered
have been received. Said certification shall be affixed to the claims
for payment.
The Municipal Finance Officer, in his or her
capacity as the certifying and approval officer, is further authorized
to pay claims not enumerated above where the payment of such claims
would afford the Township the advantage of a discount and, in his
or her discretion, the prompt payment of that claim would afford the
municipality a positive cash advantage.
[Added 5-7-2020 by Ord. No. 2020:06]
A.
Emergency procedures authorized. The Township Committee hereby designates
the Township's Chief Financial Officer as the "approval officer"
within the meaning of N.J.S.A. 40A:5-17(a)(1) who shall be authorized,
after consultation with the Township Administrator (and in the absence
of the Administrator, the Mayor, and Committee Member Liaison to the
appropriate department), to approve payments of claims that would
normally be considered by the Township Committee, at its regular meetings,
and which must be paid in order to comply with state law and/or contractual
requirements with the vendor, and which otherwise would not be able
to await a meeting of the governing body, subject, nevertheless, to
sufficient appropriations being available for the payments to be made;
and subject further to a determination by the approval officer that
there is legal authority for the payments, which shall be evidenced
by the action of the appropriate department or purchasing agent or
officer in respect to the goods or services so ordered having authorized
same, and the incurring of the expense having already occurred therefore.
B.
Prior to making payment on such claims, the approval officer shall
receive the same certification as the Township Committee would receive
before authorizing payment, under N.J.S.A. 40A:5-16(b), that the claims
were properly incurred and should be paid.
C.
Following payment of the claims, the approval officer shall certify
same to the governing body, by providing the same list the governing
body would have received had it approved said payments, which certification
and list(s) shall be provided to the Township Committee for its review
at the next meeting, and which shall be entered into the minutes of
said meeting as having been paid. Notwithstanding the foregoing, the
approval officer shall not make payment upon any claim in excess of
$2,500 without having first secured verbal approval of at least a
quorum of the governing body to pay said bill. This exception shall
not apply to the payment of invoices for goods and/or services where
the governing body has previously authorized that particular expenditure,
nor to the payment of taxes due to the school districts, and county;
nor to the payment of insurance premiums and debt payments.
