Any person claiming payment from the municipality
shall present a detailed bill of demand (N.J.S.A. 40A:5-16) to the
Town Clerk, duly certified (or, in the alternative, supported by an
affidavit of the claimant).
It shall be the duty of the Town Clerk to see
that the signature of the officer or employee who has been duly designated
by the Board of Aldermen to certify that the materials have been received
by or the services rendered to the local unit appears on every claim
(N.J.S.A. 40A:5-16).
Claims shall then be presented to the Board
of Aldermen in the form of a voucher list. The claims shall be filed
with the Municipal Clerk, who shall then present these claims to the
governing body for formal approval at a regular meeting. The Chairman
of the responsible committee must sign the vouchers approving them
for submission to the full Board of Aldermen. In the absence of the
Committee Chairman, an Alternate Committee member must sign the vouchers.
All members voting affirmative on the voucher resolution must sign
the voucher list.
Claims shall be considered by the governing
body which shall approve the same, except that the governing body
may reject any claim presented to it, stating the reason for such
rejection. Any disapproved claim shall be referred back to the Town
Clerk with such instructions as the governing body may give at the
time of disapproval.
It shall be the duty of the Town 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.
It shall be the duty of the Town Clerk, or other
such officer designated by resolution of the governing body, to indicate
on the claims that they have been approved for payment, with the date
of approval thereof noted on the claim.
After the Town Clerk has certified that the
claims have been approved, the Clerk shall turn the same over to the
Treasurer, who shall prepare the necessary checks for the payment
thereof, which checks shall be signed by the Mayor and the Town Clerk
and thereafter countersigned by the Treasurer. After preparing checks
for the payment of claims, the Clerk 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. The payroll
shall then be compiled by the Treasurer into one composite master
payroll, which shall be certified as correct by the Mayor, Town Clerk
and Town Treasurer. The master payroll shall then be submitted to
the Civil Service Commission for its certification and approval, and
upon receipt of same, 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.