The fiscal year of the Township shall begin on the first day of January and end on the 31st day of December in each year as provided by law.
A. 
The Township budget shall be prepared by the Manager. During the month of November in each year, the Manager shall require all department heads to submit requests for appropriation for the next ensuing budget year and to appear before him at public hearings, which shall be held during that month, on the various requests.
B. 
Budget requests shall be in such form and detail as the Manager shall prescribe.
C. 
On or before the 15th day of January in each year, the Manager shall prepare and submit to the Council a capital program for the ensuing six fiscal years. A copy of the proposed capital budget shall be forwarded to the Planning Board for review and comment by said Board.
D. 
On or before the 15th day of January, the Manager shall submit to the Council his recommended budget, together with such explanatory comment or statement as he may deem desirable or as requested by the Council. The budget shall be in such form as required by law for municipal budgets. It shall, in addition, include a current operating section and a capital section, together with detailed analysis of the various items of expenditure and revenue and, to the extent feasible, appropriate statements of the cost of performance of functional programs and activity in terms of quantitative, countable units of work for operation and capital expenditures.
E. 
The Council will thereafter consider and act upon the Manager's recommended budget in accordance with the requirements of the Local Budget Law, N.J.S.A. 40A:4-1 et seq.
[Amended 11-12-2013 by Ord. No. 2013-15; 9-2-2014 by Ord. No. 2014-13]
A. 
The Township Council has established an annual Capital Improvement Program ("CIP"). The amount of funds allocated toward capital improvements shall not exceed $2,000,000 annually. However, in any given year, the amount of the total debt service for general obligation debt of the Township, in the aggregate, will not exceed 10% of the total tax levy.
B. 
Pursuant to the CIP Planning Preparation Schedule per Administrative Operating Guideline 2014-2 of the Capital Improvement Program, the capital program and budget shall be each year according to the following criteria and process:
(1) 
Existing facilities and equipment inventory preparation. Initially, upon adoption of this section, each department head will complete and submit to the Manager, an inventory of the municipal properties and assets under his or her responsibility and then update annually by the first of each calendar year.
(2) 
Status of previously approved capital projects. Departments will identify CIP projects underway, including the initial funding mechanism (including account number and amount authorized); and make a determination whether additional funds will be required to complete the project, and make a determination of the amount of unspent funds available from completed and discontinued projects. This step is required pursuant to Township Code § 5-52, Capital program and budget amendment.
(3) 
Financial capacity assessment. In any given year, the amount of the total debt service for general obligation debt of the Township, in the aggregate, will not exceed 10% of the total tax levy. The financial capacity assessment should be reviewed not less than every two years by the Township's financial staff and professionals.
(4) 
Solicit, compile and evaluate capital project requests. Department heads shall submit requests for capital improvement projects which include a clear statement of need and justification for the project, its cost (including any professional services), its net effect on the operating budget (current and future), and a projected implementation schedule.
(5) 
Establish capital project(s) priority. Project submissions shall be ranked in priority by the Township Manager as objective as possible.
(6) 
Development of a CIP financial plan. Each project should include a recommended method of financing, including, but not limited to, long-term financing such as general obligation bonds, various state and federal grant and loan programs, etc.; or short-term financing, including, but not limited to, cash capital, bond anticipation notes, etc.
(7) 
CIP adoption. A proposed completed CIP report for the next calendar year shall be presented to the Township Council by the Township Manager on or before the last Township meeting of the year. The report should include a summary of recommendations for the upcoming year's capital budget and the six-year program pursuant to statute. The Township Council may approve the report as presented. If so, the Township Manager will incorporate the report into the preparation of the annual budget. However, the Township Council may decide to discuss projects in more detail. If so, any delay beyond the planning preparation schedule will be included in the Township Council budget process after receiving the budget from the Township Manager.
(8) 
Capital project(s) review/monitoring. Upon approval of the adopted municipal budget, all CIP projects included in the budget will be authorized to proceed to project implementation. The Township Manager, or his/her designee, will periodically report the status of the projects indicating any changes in projected completion dates, identification of serious issues, etc.
(9) 
CIP update. Annual updating of the CIP should consider any new information, policies and proposed projects.
Budget appropriations shall be controlled by an encumbrance system which shall be prescribed or approved by the Manager.
[Amended 11-12-2013 by Ord. No. 2013-15]
All contracts shall be signed by the Mayor, or delegated to the Manager by an appropriate contract award authorizing resolution, attested by the Clerk or Deputy Clerk, and approved by the Township Attorney for legal form and sufficiency. Purchase orders for which a formal contract is not required by the Charter or general law may be executed by the Manager without further approval.
The provisions of Local Bond Law, N.J.S.A. 40A:2-1 et seq., shall govern all aspects of bonds to which the Township is a party.
[Amended 11-12-2013 by Ord. No. 2013-15]
All purchases of any supplies, materials or equipment or contractual services for departments shall be made pursuant to procedures established by the Manager. Any amendments or changes to said procedures shall be reported to the Township Council during the Manager's report section at a Township meeting.
[Amended 11-12-2013 by Ord. No. 2013-15]
The Manager shall establish a procedure for the purchase of any item or items required for the immediate protection of the public health, safety, morals or welfare, which will permit emergency purchases to be made for specific purposes in a manner other than pursuant to N.J.S.A. 40A:11-6. Any amendments or changes to said procedures shall be reported to the Township Council during the Manager's report section at a Township meeting.
[Amended 3-25-2008 by Ord. No. 2008-8; 8-15-2011 by Ord. No. 2011-10; 11-12-2013 by Ord. No. 2013-15]
Where purchases in excess of the Division of the Local Government Services limit ($5,400 at the time of ordinance adoption) are made without competitive bidding, the purchasing officer shall obtain, wherever practicable, at least three price quotations for the item or items purchased and shall record and maintain such quotations in the office of the purchasing officer for at least one year from the time they are furnished. Wherever circumstances permit, the purchase shall be made from the lowest of such quotations received from a responsible supplier.
[1]
Editor's Note: Former § 5-59, Standards and tests, was repealed 11-12-2013 by Ord. No. 2013-15.
The Manager shall present to the Council, at Council's request, a summary of the financial transactions of the Township since the next preceding report.
[Amended 11-12-2013 by Ord. No. 2013-15]
No bill, fee or claim shall be paid unless it contains a detailed statement of the items of demand, specifying particularly how the bill or demand is made up, and a certification of the party claiming payment that it is correct; nor shall any bill, claim or demand be paid unless the voucher on which it is presented carries a certification of a department head or responsible Township official having personal knowledge of the facts that the goods have been received by or the services rendered to the Township. "Responsible Township official" shall mean the Township Manager or any other Township employee delegated such responsibility by the Township Manager.
A. 
All bills, claims and demands against the Township shall be deemed approved or disapproved by the Council in accordance with the action of the Manager. A voucher on a form prescribed by the Manager shall be presented for each bill, claim or demand and shall be paid only upon the audit, warrant and approval of the Manager. Disbursement shall be made by a combination warrant-bank check or draft warranted by the Manager or his designee, signed and countersigned by the Treasurer, except that payroll checks may be signed by the Treasurer alone upon voucher and warrant of the Manager for a total payroll.
B. 
The Manager shall prepare for each regular meeting of the Council a list of all bills, claims and vouchers which have been approved for payment through the close of business on the second day preceding the meeting and since the last preceding list was compiled. Such list shall be prepared in sufficient quantity for each member of the Council and the Manager, and at least one copy shall be filed with the Clerk as a public record open to examination in his office.
The Council will designate and retain a registered municipal accountant of New Jersey to prepare and submit an annual postaudit of Township accounts in accordance with the state laws and regulations.
[Added 11-12-2013 by Ord. No. 2013-14]
Except as provided in Subsection B below, the following practices shall be prohibited and subject to the penalties set forth in Subsection E below.
A. 
Prohibited vendor practices.
(1) 
Willful submission of bidding or billing documentation to the Township containing materially false and/or misleading information.
(2) 
Willful engagement in collusive bidding activities intended to restrain fair and free bidding in a manner harmful to the Township.
(3) 
Willful submission of a billing invoice and voucher for payment that is not in accordance with bid specifications.
B. 
Vendor fiduciary duty. Any vendor awarded a contract by the Township shall owe the Township a fiduciary duty in its provision of goods or performance of services. Such fiduciary duty shall be a mandatory provision in the contract with the Township. Such contract shall further provide the Township with the option to terminate the agreement upon a vendor material breach of fiduciary duty.
C. 
Prohibited billing processing practices - elected and appointed officials.
(1) 
Willful interference with a Township employee implementing reasonable procedures to approve vouchers for payment.
(2) 
Willfully causing a Township employee to pay a voucher that would not otherwise be authorized for approval under this Article VII of the Township Code.
(3) 
Willfully and inappropriately causing a Township employee to award a contract to a vendor that would otherwise not be retained or hired by the Township under the provisions of the Local Public Contracts Law, N.J.S.A. 40A:11-1 et seq.
D. 
Prohibited billing processing practices - Township employees.
(1) 
Willful engagement in or allowance of collusive bidding activities by vendors intended to restrain fair and free bidding in a manner harmful to the Township.
(2) 
Willful certification or causing the certification of a Township voucher for payment without informed knowledge of the facts (or without reasonable implementing procedures) that materials, supplies and services have been received or rendered.
E. 
Violations and penalties.
(1) 
Any engagement or participation in collusive activities, set forth in Subsections A(2) or D(1) above, shall subject the violator to a fine not to exceed the statutory limit for an ordinance violation (currently $2,000), payable to the Township Treasury, or imprisonment for a term not exceeding 90 days, or both such fine and imprisonment, in the discretion of the judge. The continuation of such violation for each successive day shall constitute a separate offense.
(2) 
Violations of any other provision of § 5-63.1 shall, upon conviction thereof, be punishable as provided in Chapter 1, General Provisions, § 1-16, Violations and penalties.