The Chief Municipal Finance Officer shall have
the duty to audit, warrant and make recommendations on all claims
and bills.
At least seven days prior to the next immediate
bill-paying meeting of the Township Committee, the bill or claim duly
certified shall be presented to the Chief Municipal Finance Officer
for consideration at said meeting of the governing body and it shall
be the duty of the Chief Municipal Finance Officer 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
without preference, and said list shall be made available to every
member of said governing body at least two full days prior to formal
action by that body.
Claims shall be considered by the governing
body, which shall approve the same, except that said governing body
may reject any claim presented to it, stating the reason for such
rejection. Any disapproved claim shall be referred back to the Chief
Municipal Finance Officer 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 record as to any claims
disapproved or rejected. All records pertaining to approved and disapproved
bills or claims shall be available for public inspection.
After the Township Committee has approved the
claims, the Municipal Clerk shall notify the Chief Municipal Finance
Officer, who shall forthwith prepare the necessary checks for the
payment thereof, which checks shall be signed by those persons authorized
by resolution adopted by the governing body. After preparing checks
for the payment of claims, she shall record them in proper books of
account and thereafter mail the checks to the claimants.