[HISTORY: Adopted by the Municipal Council of the City of Clifton 12-20-1960 by Ord. No. 3319 as Article 2 of Chapter 12 of the Revised Ordinances of the City of Clifton, New Jersey, 1960. Amendments noted where applicable.]
GENERAL REFERENCES
Claims for damages — See Ch. 13.
As used in this chapter, the following terms shall have the meanings indicated:
CLAIMS AGAINST THE CITY or DEBTS OF THE CITY
All valid claims against the City or debts to be paid out of public funds of the City, but shall not include claims against or debts of the City for:
A. 
State, county and school taxes.
B. 
Principal and interest on bonds and notes payable by the City.
C. 
Payroll.
CLAIMS BASED ON WRITTEN CONTRACTS AUTHORIZED BY ORDINANCE
Claims based on contracts awarded in the manner provided for by law, including claims based on written contracts for capital improvements authorized by ordinance.
PAYROLL
Includes the regular and duly authorized monthly or semimonthly payrolls of the Police Department and Fire Public Safety Department, City officials and employees of all departments, boards and divisions under the jurisdiction of the City.
[Amended 4-6-1971 by Ord. No. 4037-71]
[Amended 6-5-2019 by Ord. No. 7516-19; 4-21-2021 by Ord. No. 7640-21]
No claims against the City or debts of the City or claims based on written contracts shall be paid unless and until the following prerequisites are met:
A. 
The person claiming moneys from the City shall first present a detailed bill of items or demand, on forms supplied by the City, specifying particularly how the bill or demand is made up, with the certification of the party claiming payment that the same is correct. A vendor or claimant certification from a vendor or claimant shall not be required for amounts equal to or less than 15% of the bid threshold or if a vendor or claimant has an executed contract with the City which was authorized by the governing body, in either case: 1) where the City makes payment through standard EFT technologies; or 2) said vendor or claimant does not provide, as part of its normal course of business, a certification from an individual with knowledge of the transaction that a bill or demand is correct; and 3) a City department certification has been completed and submitted to the Finance Department pursuant to Subsection B below. This exception shall not apply to the reimbursement of employee expenses or payment for personal services of an individual.
B. 
The bill carries a certification of an officer or duly designated employee having knowledge of the facts that the goods have been received or the services rendered.
C. 
Public funds necessary to pay the same are provided and available therefor, in the manner required by law.
All claims against or debts of the City shall be processed for payment as follows:
A. 
The heads of the departments, boards, bodies or officers charged with inspecting, accepting and receiving the materials, supplies, equipment or services for which payment is claimed shall first approve the claim.
B. 
After such approval, the claim shall be presented to the City Treasurer for his approval and certification as to the account, ordinance or fund to be charged with the expenditure.
C. 
Thereafter, the claim shall be referred to the City Manager, as chief executive officer of the City, for his action thereon. The City Manager shall, within 14 days after presentation thereof, either approve or disapprove each claim and deliver the same to the Council for its action thereon. If the City Manager disapproves any claim, he shall state his reasons therefor in writing.
A. 
Claims forwarded to the Council with the disapproval of the City Manager, as provided in § 15-3, shall be acted upon, by the Council separately and, if approved, shall be paid.
B. 
Claims forwarded to the Council with the approval of the City Manager, and as provided in § 15-3, shall, whenever practicable, be acted upon by the Council in one resolution setting forth, as to each claim: the name of the claimant; the date, purpose and amount of the claim; and the account, ordinance or fund to be charged with the expenditure. The resolution approving claims so listed shall authorize the issuance of a master check or checks for the total of the approved claims, which master check or checks shall be signed by the Mayor, City Manager and City Treasurer. Thereafter, individual checks shall be issued to the claimants listed in the resolution approving the claims, and such checks shall be signed by the City Treasurer in amounts not exceeding the amounts of the respective claims and the total of the master check or checks.
The City Treasurer is hereby authorized and directed to sign and execute the check or checks referred to in § 15-4 either by his manual signature or by the use of a protective signer. All banking institutions or banking depositories upon which checks shall be drawn by the Treasurer are hereby authorized to accept either of the aforesaid forms of signature on checks.
Payroll claims of officials and employees of the City shall be paid in the same manner as provided in §§ 15-4 and 15-5, except that payrolls shall first be approved by the City Treasurer and City Manager.
Claims for refund of moneys deposited in trust accounts of the City shall be acted upon and paid in the same manner as provided in §§ 15-3, 15-4 and 15-5, except that all claims shall, where practicable, be included in a separate resolution.
Claims based on written contracts authorized by ordinance shall be acted upon and paid in the same manner as provided in §§ 15-2, 15-3 and 15-4, except that all such claims shall, where practicable, be included in one resolution; provided, however, that wherever the work, materials, equipment, supplies or services represented by such claim shall require formal acceptance by action of the Council, such claims shall be approved separately.
Claims against the City for payment of county, state and school taxes or principal and interest on bonds and notes of the City shall be acted upon and paid in the manner provided in this chapter, except where the same may be inconsistent with any statutes of New Jersey or valid rules of any agencies thereof.