Any person claiming payment from the Township of Jackson shall
first submit a detailed statement of the items or demand necessitating
such claim to the Chief Financial Officer, 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 other municipal
official responsible for certain functions, or of his or her duly
designated representative having personal knowledge of the facts that
the goods have been received by or the services rendered to the Township
of Jackson, 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 Municipal
Clerk for inclusion in the agenda of the next formal meeting of the
Township Council so as to comply with N.J.S.A. 2A:30A-1 et seq., and
it shall be the duty of the Clerk to examine all bills or claims submitted
for payment in order to ascertain if proper administrative procedures
have been followed. Claims or bills to be considered by the Township
Council shall be listed without preference, and said list shall be
made available to every member of said Township Council prior to formal
action by that body.
Claims shall be considered by the Township Council, which shall
approve the same, except that said Township Council may reject any
claim presented to it, stating the reason for such rejection. Any
disapproved claim shall be referred back to the Municipal Clerk with
such instructions as the Township Council may give at the time of
disapproval.
It shall be the duty of the Municipal Clerk to record all claims
in the official minutes or through an appropriate claims register,
indicating that the Township Council 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 or she shall submit said claims to the 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 Township Clerk and Chief Financial Officer. After preparing
checks for the payment of claims, he or she shall record them in proper
books of account and forward said checks to claimants.
Notwithstanding any other provision of this chapter, the Township Council may, by resolution, provide for and authorize the payment of advances to specific Township officers and employees for travel expense and incidental expenses thereto when such travel and incidental expenses are necessary and proper, as the Township Council in its sole discretion shall determine, in advancing the scope and nature of the work of the particular Township officer or employee, subject to §
10-8.
Notwithstanding any other provisions of this chapter, the Township
Council may, by resolution, provide for and authorize the payment
of advances for vendor services, excluding the provision of materials
and supplies, when such services are of a professional nature as defined
in the Local Public Contracts Law of New Jersey, N.J.S.A. 40A:11-1
et seq., and when the Township Council, in its sole discretion, shall
determine that circumstances exist which require the simultaneous
payment for the services when the services are provided.
In making advances pursuant to this chapter, to any individual
and/or vendor, the following procedure shall govern:
A. A resolution shall be prepared by the Township Administrator, setting
forth the department head requesting the advance, the party to whom
the advance is to be paid and the purpose and amount of the advance.
B. A voucher requesting the advance and completed in accordance with §
10-1 shall be attached to the original resolution on file in the office of the Township Administrator, bearing the signature of the appropriate department head requesting the advance and the party to whom the advance is to be paid.
C. The advance resolution shall be submitted to the Township Council for consideration at the next regular meeting of the Township Council, pursuant to §§
10-2 and
10-3.
D. If the resolution is approved, an advance check shall be issued pursuant to §
10-5.
E. Within 10 days of the completion of the authorized travel or payment
for the vendor's services, the Township department head from
whose department the request originated shall countersign the previously
submitted voucher, submit a detailed bill and require any necessary
adjustment to be made as to the advance payment to any officer or
employee within his or her department, including the repayment of
any excess advance, under the supervision of the Township Administrator.