Any person claiming payment from the Borough of Rocky Hill shall first
submit a detailed statement of the items or demand necessitating such claim
to the responsible executive agency, specifying particularly how the bill
or demand is made up and a certification of the party claiming payment that
it is correct. No bill, claim or demand shall be considered for payment unless
the voucher has attached to it (or included) a certification from a designated
Borough employee, having personal knowledge of the facts, that the goods have
been received by or the service rendered to the Borough of Rocky Hill and
that those services or goods are consistent with an existing contract or purchase
order. The Treasurer shall have the duty to audit, warrant and make recommendations
on all claims and bills.
The bill or claim duly certified shall be presented to the Municipal
Clerk for inclusion in the proceedings of the next immediate formal meeting
of the governing body to examine all bills or claims submitted for payment
in order to ascertain if proper administrative procedures have been followed.
All claims or bills to be considered by the governing body shall be listed
systematically and without preference, and said list shall be made available
to every member of said governing body prior to formal action by that body.
Claims shall be considered by the Borough Council which shall approve
the same, except that said governing body may reject any claim presented to
it, stating the reason for such rejection. Any disapproval claim shall be
referred back to the Municipal Clerk with such instructions as the governing
body may give at the time of disapproval.
It shall be the duty of the Municipal Clerk to record all claims in
the official minutes or through an appropriate claims register, indicating
that the governing body has by formal action approved the same with appropriate
records as to any claims disapproved or rejected. All records pertaining to
approval or disapproval or bills or claims shall be available for public inspection.
The Treasurer shall make the disbursements upon receipt of an order
by the Mayor and Borough Council attested by the Borough Clerk. If in the
event that the Mayor vetoes the payment of any claims or bills, the Treasurer
may be authorized to make payment by a vote to override such veto of any claim
or bill.
After the Clerk has certified that the claims have been approved, the
Clerk shall turn the same over to the Treasurer who shall forthwith prepare
the necessary checks for the payment thereof, which said checks shall be signed
by the Mayor and thereafter signed by the Borough Clerk and the Treasurer.
In the event that one of the above-named individuals is unavailable to sign
checks, then the Finance Chairman or Assistant Finance Chairman shall be empowered
to sign the checks in their place. After preparing checks for the payment
of claims, he shall record them in proper books of accounts and thereafter
mail the checks to the claimants.