The fiscal year of the City shall begin on January
1 and end on December 31 in each year, as provided by law.
Budget appropriations shall be controlled by
an encumbrance system which shall be prescribed or approved by the
Administrator. Upon the approval of the Mayor, the Administrator shall
establish quarterly or such other periodic allotments of appropriations
as he may deem desirable. Each department shall plan and administer
its work program within the limits of such allotments, and no commitments
shall be incurred in excess of any such allotment except upon written
authorization of the Mayor.
[Amended 2-5-1976 by Ord. No. 322-76; 7-11-1985 by Ord. No.
865-85]
A. Mayor's authority. Within the limits of available
appropriations and in accordance with N.J.S.A. 40A:11-1 et seq., the
Mayor is authorized to negotiate and execute contracts and other legally
binding obligations of the City, provided that formal Council approval
for contracts in excess of $4,500 is first obtained by resolution.
B. Procedure. Any such contractual document shall be
signed by the Mayor, authorized by the Comptroller and approved by
the City Attorney for legal form and sufficiency. Purchase orders,
for which a formal contract is not required by the Charter, may be
authorized by the Business Administrator or purchasing agent, within
the limits of available appropriations.
Where contracts are let by competitive bidding
pursuant to the Charter, the City Council shall be the City's contracting
agent for the purposes of N.J.S.A. 40A:11-1 et seq., or any amendment
or supplement thereto. Bids shall be delivered to and publicly opened
by the Business Administrator at the advertised time and place and
shall be reported to the Council at its next regular meeting. The
contract shall be executed in the manner above provided.
The purchase of any item, where the Administrator
determines that an emergency exists within the meaning of applicable
statutes, may be made without advertisement for bids, notwithstanding
that the amount involved exceeds $2,500. The Administrator shall establish
procedures, in compliance with state laws and regulations, which will
permit such emergency purchases to be made for specific purposes in
a manner other than that prescribed by this article.
[Amended 7-11-1985 by Ord. No. 865-85]
Where purchases in excess of $1,000 are made
without competitive bidding, the purchasing officer shall obtain,
wherever possible, at least three price quotations for the item or
items to be purchased and shall record and maintain such quotations
in his office for at least two years from the time they are furnished.
Wherever circumstances permit, the purchase shall be made from the
lowest of such quotations received from a responsible bidder.