[Ord. No. 2010-28; amended 3-21-2019 by Ord. No. 03-2019]
a. Under the supervision of the Mayor as chief executive, there shall
be a Department of Administration, the head of which shall be the
City Business Administrator. Within the Department there shall be
the following divisions:
1. Division of Municipal Operations.
3. Office of the City Clerk.
b. Departmental Powers and Duties Generally. The Department shall assist
the Mayor in the direction and supervision of the departments established
by this Code; coordinate the operation and administration of the various
departments, divisions and agencies of the City government; conduct
the business operations of the City and perform such other duties
as the Mayor may designate. With respect to the statutory agencies
herein designated, the Department shall have the authority of overseeing
such agencies and the departments herein established.
[Ord. No. 2010-28; amended 3-21-2019 by Ord. No. 03-2019]
Within the Department there shall be a Division of Municipal
Operations, the head of which shall be the City Business Administrator.
The Division shall include such other personnel as shall be authorized
by ordinance.
a. Powers and Duties. Under the supervision of the Business Administrator,
the Division shall:
1. Maintain operating reports of the various departments, divisions,
offices and agencies of the municipal government.
2. Collect, report upon and turn over to the Chief Financial Officer
all fees for which no other collection procedures are established
by general law or by this Code.
3. Maintain financial records of City operations.
4. Prescribe and enforce rules and regulations for the efficient management
of the City government, subject to the Charter and to this Code.
5. Develop and enforce sound personnel and purchasing practices and
procedures for all of the departments, divisions, offices and agencies
of the City government.
6. Assist the Mayor in coordinating the operation and administration
of the departments herein established.
7. Maintain a continuing review and analysis of budget operations, work
programs and costs of municipal services, including an inventory and
depreciation schedule of all property owned by the City.
8. Have custody of all City property, real or personal, not assigned
in other departments, and assign such property within the departments.
9. Perform such other duties as may be prescribed.
b. Preparation of Budget. The Division shall prepare the budget document.
1. On or before November 1 of each year, each department head shall
submit to the Department of Administration requests for appropriation
for the ensuing budget year, including a statement of departmental
programs, expenditures and employees for the last-completed fiscal
year as estimated, together with the departmental request for the
ensuing fiscal year. Significant deviation of the requested amount
from the amount currently budgeted shall be accompanied by explanatory
information. In a separate capital section, the departmental requests
shall also set forth the estimated capital needs and appropriation
requests for capital purposes of the department for the then-current
fiscal year and for the two ensuing fiscal years.
2. The Division of Municipal Operations shall compile and evaluate the
requests for appropriations received from the department heads, for
consideration by the Mayor. During the month of November, each department
head shall appear before the Mayor and the Finance Committee of Council
for hearings on the various requests.
3. On or before December 15 of each year, the Chief Financial Officer
shall prepare estimates of property and nonproperty tax revenues which
may be anticipated for the support of the budget for the ensuing fiscal
year.
4. On or before the 31st day of January, the Mayor shall submit the
proposed budget to the Council. After consideration by the Council,
there shall be appended to the budget a detailed analysis of all items
of expenditure and revenue. Said analysis shall include for each line
item a comparison of the amounts budgeted for the current year and
the amounts budgeted and expended in the previous year.
5. There shall be appended to the budget document a capital section
which shall include a budget of capital projects proposed or continued
for the current budget year, together with a forecast of capital needs
for the ensuing year.
c. Adoption of Budget. The budget shall be considered, approved and
adopted after public hearing and certification by the Director of
Local Government Services in accordance with Local Budget Law.
d. Operation of Budget.
1. The Mayor and City Business Administrator, as head of the Department
of Administration, shall supervise the administration of each annual
budget. Quarterly, or such other periodic allotments of appropriations
as may be deemed desirable, shall be established. Each department
shall administer its expenditures within the limits of such allotments.
2. No deficits may be incurred within a department. However, upon consultation
with the Finance Committee and approval of Council, priorities and
allotments may be shifted within the confines of an annual budget.
e. Purchasing. All purchases of any supplies, materials or equipment
or contractual services for a department shall be made by the Department
of Administration pursuant to a written request from the head of the
department whose appropriation will be charged and the certification
of the Chief Financial Officer that a sufficient unencumbered balance
of appropriation is available to pay therefor. All such purchase contracts
shall conform to applicable requirements of state statutes for competitive
bidding. Except as the City Council may authorize in case of emergency,
no purchase shall be made and no bill, claim or voucher shall be approved
unless the procedures prescribed by or pursuant to this Code have
been followed.
1. Award of Contracts. Where contracts are let to public bidding the
Council may, upon recommendation from the head of the department whose
appropriation will be charged, let the contract in the manner prescribed
by law. Any such contract shall be executed in the manner provided
by this Code and by general law.
2. Purchase by Quotation. Where purchases in excess of $1,000 are made without competitive bidding, the department head shall obtain, wherever possible, at least three price quotations for the items to be purchased and shall attach them to the voucher submitted to the Chief Financial Officer for approval as required by Subsection
3-11.1. Wherever circumstances permit, the purchase shall be made from the lowest of such quotations.
3. Emergency Purchases. The City Business Administrator shall establish
a procedure for the purchase of any item or items required for the
immediate protection of the public health, safety or welfare, which
will permit such emergency purchases to be made for specific purposes
in a manner other than that prescribed by this article.
4. Acceptance of Material. Upon delivery of materials purchased, the
receiving department shall immediately inspect said materials as to
quantity, quality and condition in accordance with the purchase order
and shall immediately notify the Department of Administration.
5. Purchasing of Capital Items. All requisitions for capital items shall
include references to the appropriate line item in the budget.
f. Personnel. The Division shall supervise the hiring policy of the
City as herein established and shall receive and distribute applications
for employment, schedule interviews and maintain personnel files and
records for all employees of the City.
[Ord. No. 2010-28]
Within the Department of Administration there shall be the Department
of Finance, headed by the Chief Financial Officer, who shall be appointed
by the Mayor with the advice and consent of Council. The office of
Chief Financial Officer shall be governed by the provisions of N.J.S.A.
40A:9-140.1 et seq. as well as this Administrative Code.
a. Composition. The Department of Finance shall consist of the Revenue
Section, the Assessment Section and the Chief Financial Officer.
b. Powers and Duties. The power and duties of the Chief Financial Officer
shall be as provided by law and local ordinance and shall include,
but shall not be limited to:
1. Maintaining and operating the City's bookkeeping and accounting records
in accordance with requirements of the Director of the State Division
of Local Government Services.
2. Maintaining custody of all public moneys of the City and providing
proper bank accounts to protect and separate funds.
3. Control of all receipts and disbursements of the municipal government
and of each of its departments and pre-audit all bills, claims and
demands against the City, including payrolls.
4. Report when required to City Council.
5. Arrange for the conduct of the annual audit by the City Auditor,
who shall be appointed annually by the Mayor, and shall cooperate
with the auditor in the performance of his duties in accordance with
State law for municipal audits.
c. Revenue Section. Within the Department of Finance, there shall be
a Revenue Section, the head of which shall be the Municipal Tax Collector
who shall perform the functions of a collector of taxes under general
law.
d. Assessment Section. Within the Department of Finance, there shall
be an Assessment Section, the head of which shall be the Tax Assessor
appointed by the Mayor with the advice and consent of Council, and
who shall be qualified by both training and experience to perform
the duties of a Municipal Tax Assessor in accordance with State law.
e. Finance Committee. Within the Department of Finance there shall be
a Finance Committee consisting of the Mayor and two members of Council
selected by the Mayor. The Mayor may also appoint a citizen of the
City who is qualified by training or experience in financial matters
to serve as advisor of the committee.
f. Disbursements. Vouchers for salaries and wages and for goods and/or
services shall be prepared in accordance with State law.
[Ord. No. 2010-28; amended 3-21-2019 by Ord. No. 03-2019]
Within the Department there shall be the Office of the City Clerk, the head of which shall be the City Clerk, who shall be appointed by the Mayor with the advice and consent of Council. The Clerk shall be the Clerk of the Council, perform such functions as may be required by law of municipal clerks generally and perform such other duties as may be prescribed for Clerk of the Council by Article
III of this chapter and have such other powers and duties as Council may prescribe, including:
a. Maintaining records of ordinances and resolutions of the Council.
b. Receiving and replying to inquiries and complaints concerning affairs
affecting the City government in coordination with the City Business
Administrator.
c. Serving as Clerk of the Council. He or she shall attend all meetings
of the Council and shall keep the minutes of the proceedings of the
Council.
d. Ensuring the custody of and shall safely keep all records, books
and documents of the City, except those committed by Charter or ordinance
to any other office or transferred thereto by the Business Administrator.
He or she shall, upon request and upon the payment of the fees prescribed
therefor by resolution of the Council for the use of the City, furnish
a certified copy of any such paper in his or her custody.
e. Be the depository and custodian of all: official surety bonds furnished
by or on account of any officer or employee, except his or her own
bond (which shall be placed in the custody of the CFO); insurance
policies upon or with respect to risks insured for the benefit of
the City or to protect it against any claim, demand or liability whatsoever;
formal contracts for work, labor services, supplies, equipment and
materials to which the municipality may be a party; be the depository
for and have custody of all performance bonds running to the City
as obligee, or any other form of security given by any contractor,
subdivision developer or other persons on account of work done or
to be done in or for the City; and have custody of all leases of property
owned by the City. The Clerk shall also report to the City Business
Administrator, at such time as the Administrator may require, on the
coverage, expiration date and premium of each surety bond and contract
of insurance, the nature and terms of outstanding leases, the rent
reserved by each and their respective expiration dates.
f. Administer the provisions of the City ordinances with reference to
the licensing of occupations and activities for which licenses are
required by law or ordinance to be obtained from the Clerk.
g. Perform all of the functions required of municipal clerks by the
General Election Law (Title 19 of the Revised Statutes of the State
of New Jersey) and any other law or ordinance.
h. Have such other, different and additional functions, powers and duties
as may be prescribed by law or ordinance or delegated to him/her by
the City Administrator.
[Ord. No. 2010-28]
Within the Department there shall be the City Attorney, who
shall be appointed by the Mayor with the advice and consent of Council
for the term of one year. The City Attorney shall represent the City
in routine legal matters and shall advise and assist the Mayor and
Council as required in the administration of the City Government.
The Mayor with the advice and consent of Council may contract for
specialized legal services as needed.