(A0173-12; Rev. Ords. 1976, Pt. 2, Ch. 6, §§ 1--6; Ord. of 4-10-89; C0032-14)
(a)
All bills and accounts of any nature for moneys payable to persons having demands against the city shall first be presented to the administrative board, commission or officer having charge of the department to which the bills and accounts pertain.
(b)
Each month the administrative boards, commissions and officers shall examine all bills and accounts pertaining to their department, and have approved bills and accounts recorded in detail on forms prescribed by the city auditor.
(c)
Schedules of approved bills and accounts of persons having demands against the city shall be certified by individual officers having charge of the department, by a majority of the full membership of administrative boards and commissions, except that schedules of the school committee and of the trustees of the public libraries need be certified only by the chairman and secretary of the respective boards; schedules of the city council certified by the president of the city council; and schedules of the police department by the chief of police.
(1)
No bills or accounts shall be approved by any administrative board or commission except at a meeting of which all of the members have been notified, and at which a majority of the board or commission are present.
(2)
All bills and accounts so approved, together with the certified schedules, shall be filed with the city auditor not later than the eighth day of each month.
(d)
The city auditor shall cause a careful examination and verification of all bills and accounts submitted to him by administrative boards, commissions, officers or the city council, and shall present them, subject to his approval, after such examination and verification, to the city council’s committee on ways & means. The committee on ways & means shall meet at least once each month for the purpose of examination of bills and accounts submitted to it by the city auditor. If the city auditor, after examination and verification of all bills and accounts submitted to him, shall determine that any bill or account, if further delayed, would cost the city interest charges, he shall immediately, upon verification of their authenticity, approve such bills for payment without the necessity of examination by the committee on ways & means. The city auditor, at a later date, shall submit such bills and accounts to the committee on ways & means for their examination.
(e)
Following examination of bills and accounts, submitted to the committee on ways & means as provided for in (d) above, by a majority of the members of the committee on ways & means, the city auditor shall have a warrant prepared, in prescribed form, authorizing the city treasurer to make payments thereon, subject to the approval of the mayor.
(f)
If the committee on ways & means has doubt concerning any bill or account, it may request an administrative official to appear before the committee, for an explanation of the bill or account. The bills and accounts examined by the committee on ways & means shall be retained by the city auditor.