[HISTORY: Adopted by the Township Committee (now Township Council) of the Township of Eastampton 3-27-1978 by Ord. No. 1978-4 (Ch. 4 of the 1974 Township Code). Amendments noted where applicable.]
This chapter is adopted pursuant to the Local Fiscal Affairs Law, N.J.S.A. 40A:5-16 to 18, inclusive.
[Amended 10-9-2018 by Ord. No. 2018-16]
Any person claiming payment from the Township shall first submit a detailed statement of the items or demand necessitating such claim to the Township Clerk, 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 includes, a certification of a department head, or other Township official responsible for certain functions, or of his duly designated representative, having personal knowledge of the facts that the goods have been received by, or the services rendered to, the Township and that those services or goods are consistent with any existing contract or purchase order. The Township Director of Finance and/or his/her designee shall audit, warrant and make recommendations on all claims and bills.
The bill or claim duly certified shall be presented to the Township Clerk for inclusion in the agenda of the next immediate formal meeting of the Township Council. The Clerk shall 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 Township Council shall be listed systematically without preference, and the list shall be made available to every member of the committee at least three full days prior to formal action.
Claims shall be considered by the Township Council, which shall approve the same, except that the Council may reject any claim presented to it, stating the reason for such rejection. Any disapproved claim shall be referred back to the Township Clerk with such instructions as the Township Council may give at the time of disapproval.
The Township Clerk shall record all claims in the official minutes or in an appropriate claims register, indicating that the Township Council has by formal action approved such claims, with appropriate records as to any claims disapproved or rejected. All records pertaining to approved and disapproved bills or claims shall be available for public inspection.
[Amended 10-9-2018 by Ord. No. 2018-16]
After the Clerk has certified that the claims have been approved, the Clerk shall submit such claims to the Director of Finance and/or his/her designee, or other chief financial officer, who shall forthwith prepare the necessary checks for the payment thereof. Checks shall be signed by the Mayor and thereafter signed by the Director of Finance and/or his/her designee or other chief financial officer. After preparing checks for the payment of claims, the Director of Finance and/or his/her designee shall record them in proper books of account and thereafter mail the checks to the claimants.
No Township employee or official shall obligate the Township for payment of any claim in excess of $500 without prior submission to and approval of the Township Council, except in an emergency where such prior submission and approval would be impracticable.