Borough of Brooklawn, NJ Chapter 11 Claims Approval

[HISTORY: Adopted by the Mayor and Council of the Borough of Brooklawn 8-17-77 as Ord. No. 196. Amendments noted where applicable.]

§ 11-1 Statement of claim; certification.

Any person claiming payment from the Borough of Brooklawn 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, on forms supplied by the Borough of Brooklawn, of the party claiming payment that it is correct. No bill, claim or demand shall be considered for payment unless the voucher includes a certification from a designated borough employee having personal knowledge of the fact that the goods have been received by or the services rendered to the Borough of Brooklawn 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.

§ 11-2 Presentation to Clerk; placement on agenda.

The bill or claim duly certified shall be presented to the Borough Clerk for inclusion in the proceedings of the next immediate formal meeting of the Borough Council, and it shall be the duty of the Borough Clerk 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 Borough Council 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.

§ 11-3 Consideration by Council; approval or disapproval.

Claims shall be considered by the Borough Council, which shall approve the same, except that said Borough Council may reject any claim presented to it, stating the reason for such rejection. Any tie votes may be broken by vote of the Mayor. Any disapproved claim shall be referred back to the Borough Clerk with such instructions as the Borough Council may give at the time of disapproval.

§ 11-4 Record of claims.

It shall be the duty of the Borough Clerk to record all claims in the official minutes of the Borough Council, indicating that the Borough Council has by formal action approved the same, with appropriate records as to any claims disapproved or rejected. All records pertaining to approved or disapproved bills or claims shall be available for public inspection.

§ 11-5 Disbursements by Treasurer.

The Treasurer shall make disbursements pursuant to resolution of the Borough Council, attested by the Borough Clerk. In the event that the Mayor vetoes the payment of any claims or bills, the Treasurer may be authorized to make payment pursuant to resolution of the Borough Council whereby at least two-thirds (2/3) of all the Council members vote to override such veto of any claim or bill.

§ 11-6 Preparation of checks; recording.

After the Borough Clerk has certified that the claims have been approved, he or she 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 Treasurer. After preparing checks for the payment of claims, he or she shall record them in proper books of account and thereafter have the checks mailed to the claimants.