[Adopted by Ord. No. 8-1997 (Ch. 3.08 of the 1996 Municipal Code)]
Any person claiming payment from the City shall first submit
a detailed statement of the items or demand necessitating such claim
to the responsible executive agency, 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 duly designated representative, having
personal knowledge of the facts that the goods have been received
by, or the services rendered to the City, 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 immediate formal meeting
of the governing body, 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. All claims or
bills to be considered by the governing body shall be listed systematically
without preference, and said list shall be made available to every
member of said governing body at least three full days prior to formal
action by that body.
Claims shall be considered by the governing body which shall
approve the same, except that said governing body 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 governing body 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 governing body 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 shall turn the same over to the Treasurer, or other 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 Treasurer or other Chief Financial Officer.
After preparing checks for the payment of claims, he shall record
them in proper books of account and thereafter mail the checks to
the claimants.
[Adopted 5-2-2023 by Ord. No. 05-2023]
Claimants' certification signatures will only be required for
refunds, advance payments, employee reimbursements, or for services
provided exclusively and entirely by an individual.
This article shall take effect upon final passage and publication
of this article.