Any person claiming payment from the municipality shall present a detailed bill of demand to the Municipal Treasurer, duly certified or, in the alternative, supported by an affidavit of the claimant.
[HISTORY: Adopted by the Mayor and Council of the Borough of Demarest as indicated in article histories. Amendments noted where applicable.]
[Adopted 12-16-1964 by Ord. No. 302; amended in its entirety 12-19-1977 by Ord. No. 449]
It shall be the duty of the Municipal Treasurer to see that the signature of the officer or employee who has been duly designated by the local unit to certify that the materials have been received by or the services rendered to the local unit appears on every claim.
Where the Mayor does not approve claims prior to the time they are presented to the governing body for approval, it shall be his duty to incorporate in the official minutes, by signing the approving resolution or by approving the schedule of claims approved by the governing body, that he has examined the same and has officially approved the same for payment.
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 Treasurer 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, indicating that the governing body has by formal action approved the same, with appropriate record as to any claims disapproved or rejected.
A.
A list of all claims shall be presented for approval at the next regular meeting, said schedule or list to be made available to every member of said governing body at least three days before the claims are subject to formal action by that body.
B.
After approval, claims shall be listed in a book or record to be designated as "claims approved by governing body on (insert date)." This listing shall be amplified by appropriate detail in the minutes to permit ready identification.
It shall be the duty of the Mayor or such other officer designated by resolution of the governing body to indicate on said claims that they have been approved for payment, with the date of approval thereof noted on the claim.
After the Mayor has certified that the claims have been approved, the Clerk 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 the Municipal Clerk and thereafter countersigned by the Treasurer or other Chief Financial Officer or any persons duly authorized by the Mayor and Council to act on their behalf. After preparing checks for the payment of claims, the Treasurer shall record them in proper books of account and thereafter mail or otherwise distribute the checks to the claimants.
In the case of payrolls, the appropriate department heads or such officer or employee as may be designated by resolution of the governing body shall prepare the necessary payrolls for all employees, which payrolls shall be duly certified by the person authorized to certify that the services have been rendered and the amount specified is in fact due and owing to the employee or employees. Said payroll shall then be approved by the department head responsible therefor and presented to the governing body for approval and, after approval, shall be paid in due course.
This article shall provide for the establishment of a payroll account, and the governing body may thereafter by resolution prescribe the manner in which payroll checks shall be drawn, who shall sign the same and the dates on which payment shall be made.
In the case of reimbursement for actual and necessary traveling expenses, itemized claims supported by receipts, where available, should be presented in order to obtain reimbursement for expenses incurred by local officials where authorized to travel by the municipality.
[Adopted 3-19-2012 by Ord. No. 994]
The attached Tort Claims Act[1] notice form shall be and is hereby adopted as the official tort claim notice form for the Borough of Demarest.[2] Should the Borough deem it necessary to adopt a new Tort Claims Act notice form from time to time, such new or revised form shall be adopted in the same manner as this article.
All persons making claims against the Borough of Demarest, its officers, employees, agencies or departments, pursuant to the New Jersey Tort Claims Act, N.J.S.A. 59:1-1 et seq., are required to complete the form adopted by this article as a condition of compliance with the New Jersey Tort Claims Act notice requirements.