There shall be a Department of Finance, the head of which shall
be the Treasurer-Controller. He shall also be known as the "Director
of Finance." He shall be appointed by the Manager and shall be qualified
by training and experience in municipal budgeting, accounting and
finance. Within the Department of Finance, there shall be a Division
of Accounts and Control, a Division of Tax Collection, and a Division
of the Treasury.
The Chief Financial Officer shall:
A. Be responsible for the fiscal records of the Town.
B. Advise and assist the Mayor and Town Council in regard to developing
fiscal plans and forecasts for the Town.
C. Provide financial assistance to all boards, commissions and departments
of the Town.
D. Conduct continuous studies and collect data to serve as a basis for
future financial recommendations.
The Treasurer-Controller shall:
A. Be the Chief Financial Officer of the Town.
B. Supervise the work of the Department and its divisions.
C. Be responsible for:
(1) The accounting, preauditing and control of all Town revenues and
expenditures.
(2) The custody, receipt and disbursement of Town funds.
(3) The safety and investment of the Town's funds.
(4) The management of the Town's debt.
(5) The development of financial policies for recommendation to the Manager.
(6) The safeguarding of the Town's financial interests to the fullest
extent.
Within the Department of Finance, there shall be a Division
of Accounts and Control. Under the supervision and direction of the
Director of Finance, the Division shall:
A. Develop, maintain and enforce a uniform system of accounts, including
forms, standards and procedures for all departments of the Town government.
Any uniform system of accounts shall include appropriate provisions
for such records and reports as may be prescribed or approved by the
Manager for the determination of the cost of performance of each functional
program or activity, measured in such work units as may be appropriate
thereto, and for such data, records and reports as may be prescribed
or approved by the Manager for the preparation and execution of a
budget for the expenditure of public funds for capital purposes to
give effect to general improvement programs.
B. Maintain and operate the Town's central bookkeeping and accounting
records according to sound accounting principles and in accordance
with the requirements of the Director of the State Division of Local
Finance.
C. Audit all receipts and disbursements of the Town government and of
each of its departments and preaudit all bills, claims and demands
against the Town, including payrolls, and require each department
head to certify that any materials, supplies or equipment have been
received and accepted as specified and that the services have been
duly rendered.
D. Control all expenditures to assure that budget appropriations are
not exceeded and maintain such books and records as may be required
for the proper exercise of such budgetary control.
E. Review each proposed expenditure and commitment to be made on behalf
of any department for conformity with state law, the Charter and ordinances
of the Town, and authorize only such expenditures and commitments
as conform with all the requirements of this chapter.
F. Install, operate and maintain a central payroll system and all social
security, pension and insurance records for personnel of all departments.
G. Devise, install and supervise a perpetual inventory of unissued stores
of the Town and install an accounting system whereby the status of
such inventories will be maintained currently; supervise a physical
inventory periodically; supervise the making of inventory lists of
furniture and equipment by every officer, department or other agency
having possession of Town-owned property; devise a system of inventory
records to account for all furniture and equipment and supervise a
periodic counting of such furniture and equipment.
H. Submit a monthly report of expenditures and balances to the Council
and Manager.
Within the Department of Finance, there shall be a Division
of Tax Collection. The head of the Division shall be the Town Tax
Collector. The Tax Collector shall have, perform and exercise all
the functions, powers and duties as are provided by general law and
Town ordinance. He shall receive and collect all monies assessed or
raised by taxation or assessment for any purpose. He shall keep proper
records and report to the Director at least once a month all receipts
and deposits made by him and shall, in such report, account for all
monies for which he is responsible. He shall keep a current record
of all tax title liens, advising the Director promptly as such liens
become subject to foreclosure under the law. He shall enforce the
payment of delinquent taxes by the means provided by law as soon as
they become delinquent. He shall also serve as Tax Searcher and Town
Improvement Searcher and perform such duties as are prescribed by
general law and municipal ordinance. However, the Manager may appoint,
in lieu of the Tax Collector, any qualified person to the position
of Tax Searcher and Town Improvement Searcher.
Within the Department of Finance, there shall be a Division
of the Treasury.
A. The Division
shall:
(1) Keep and maintain books and records of all financial transactions
of the Town in accordance with the standards and requirements of the
State Division of Local Finance.
(2) Have custody of all public monies and make monthly reports to the
Director of Finance of all receipts, expenditures, commitments and
unexpended appropriations. All monies received from any source by
or on behalf of the Town or any department, board, office or agency
thereof, except as otherwise provided by ordinance, shall be paid
to the Treasurer, who shall, by the next ensuing bank day after receipt,
deposit the monies to the credit of the Town in the authorized public
depository, to the credit of the proper account.
(3) Be the certifying agent for the Public Employees Retirement System
of New Jersey; Consolidated Police and Firemen's Retirement System
of New Jersey; Old Age and Survivors Insurance System; hospitalization,
medical, surgical and major medical group insurance plans for employees;
withholding taxes; United States savings bonds; employees unions;
and United Fund appeals.
(4) Supervise and perform the work involved in the negotiation of loans
and the sale of bonds.
(5) Have custody of all investments and invested funds of the Town or
in its possession in a fiduciary capacity, except as otherwise provided
by law, and have the safekeeping of all bonds and notes for transfer,
registration or exchange and invest or deposit all monies not required
for current operation in interest-bearing accounts as may be approved
by the Division of Accounts and Control.
B. Within the Division, the Treasurer-Controller shall also serve as
custodian of school funds. In such capacity, he shall receive and
safely keep and disburse all monies raised and received for the public
schools and keep separate accounts thereof, provided that no money
shall be paid out of the public school funds by the Treasurer-Controller
except on warrant signed by the President and Secretary of the Board
of Education pursuant to an order or resolution passed at a stated
meeting of the Board of Education and entered in its minutes.