The financial business of the City shall be committed to a Department
of Finance.
A.
Chief Financial Officer. Within the Department of Finance, there
shall be a Division of the Treasury, the head of which shall be the
Chief Financial Officer, who shall be appointed by City Council and
shall also serve as the City Treasurer.
B.
Powers and duties of the Chief Financial Officer. The Chief Financial
Officer shall have, perform and exercise all the functions, powers
and duties provided by general law and City ordinances. He or she
shall keep and maintain books and records of all financial transactions
of the City in accordance with the standards and requirements of the
Division of Local Finance in the Department of Community Affairs of
the State of New Jersey. He or she shall have custody of all receipts,
expenditures, commitments and unexpended appropriations. All monies
received from any source by or on behalf of the City or any department,
board, office or agency thereof, except as otherwise provided by City
ordinance, shall be paid to the Chief Financial Officer who shall,
by the next ensuing bank day after their receipt, deposit them in
an authorized public depository of the City to the credit of the proper
account. In addition, but not in limitation of the foregoing, the
Chief Financial Officer shall perform the following duties:
(1)
Supervise the expenditure of all City funds and make certain that
such expenditure is strictly in accordance with the budgetary appropriation.
(2)
Assist in the preparation of the City's budget.
(4)
Supervise the payroll accounts of the City.
(5)
Issue payroll checks to all officials, officers and employees of
the City.
(6)
Prepare and distribute all informational returns and payroll reports
required by any agency of the federal or state government concerning
any payments made to officials, officers, employees and vendors of
the City.
(7)
Supervise the method and procedures for the payment of all claims
against the City.
(8)
Supervise all investments of the City and make recommendations, where
appropriate, to the City Manager and City Council concerning investments
or any other matter touching upon the financial affairs of the City.
(9)
Perform such further and additional duties as may be prescribed by
the City Manager.
C.
Designation of position. The appointment to the position of Chief
Financial Officer shall be made by City Council. The individual so
appointed shall possess all of the requisite qualifications and experience
required by law and, specifically, Chapter 9 of Title 40A of the New
Jersey Revised Statutes, as amended and supplemented.
D.
Term of office; tenure. The term of office of the Chief Financial
Officer shall be for a term of four years. A Chief Financial Officer
who has served in that position for a period of not less than five
consecutive years and who is the holder of a municipal finance officer
certificate issued in accordance with N.J.S.A. 40A:9-140.1 et seq.,
shall be granted tenure of office upon filing with the City Clerk
and with the Division of Local Government Services in the New Jersey
Department of Community Affairs, a notification evidencing his or
her compliance with this section. Thereafter, such person shall continue
to hold office during good behavior and efficiency and shall not be
removed therefrom except for just cause; and then only after a public
hearing upon a written complaint setting forth the charge or charges
against him or her as required by law or upon expiration and revocation
of certification by the Director of the Division of Local Government
Services.
E.
Dual positions. Nothing contained within this section shall be construed
as prohibiting an individual holding the position of Treasurer, Assistant
Treasurer and Tax Collector from being appointed to the position of
Chief Financial Officer, provided such individual possesses the required
qualifications.
Within the Department of Finance there shall be a Division of
Tax Collection, the head of which shall be the City Tax Collector,
who shall be appointed by City Council.
A.
The City
Tax Collector shall receive and collect all monies assessed or raised
by taxation or assessment for any purpose. The Collector shall enter
in suitable books or other records to be kept by him or her the sums
received each day together with the account to which each receipt
is credited. The Collector shall turn over all the monies to the Chief
Financial Officer. Within 60 days after the end of the fiscal year,
and at such other times as may be required by City Council, the Collector
shall make and furnish a detailed and true list of all delinquent
City taxpayers for the next preceding year or for such period as City
Council may require.
B.
The Tax
Collector, Utility Collector, and all other departments dealing with
collections are hereby authorized and directed to:
[Added 4-18-2023 by Ord. No. 493-2023]
(1)
Impose
a service charge of $20.00 to any account owing to the municipality
upon which a check or other written instrument was returned for insufficient
funds.
(2)
Require
payment in cash or by certified or cashier check for any account that
has had three (3) items returned for insufficient funds.
Within the Department of Finance there shall be a Division of
Tax Assessment, the head of which shall be the City Tax Assessor,
appointed by City Council.
A.
No person may be the City Tax Assessor unless he or she holds a tax
assessor certificate.
B.
A person reappointed to office, and thereafter serving in office
for four consecutive years, other than by reason of change of form
of government, shall be entitled to tenure.
C.
The Tax Assessor shall:
(1)
Have, perform and discharge all the functions, powers and duties
prescribed by law for a municipal assessor.
(2)
Make assessments for benefits for local improvement and for that
purpose have and exercise the powers and duties of a board of assessment
for local improvement as provided by law.
(3)
Maintain adequate assessment records of each separate parcel of real
property assessed or exempted.
(4)
Maintain a current tax map of the City as a public record and cause
to be recorded thereon all changes in ownership or character of the
real property assessed, employing for that purpose the facilities
of other departments as provided by the Code.
(5)
Report to the City Manager and City Council as to equalization proceedings
and other matters involving the County Tax Board and make recommendation
as to action to be taken in that regard.
