Borough of Rocky Hill, NJ Chapter 5 Claims, Payment of

[HISTORY: Adopted by the Mayor and Borough Council of the Borough of Rocky Hill 12-6-1982 by Ord. No. 7-82. Amendments noted where applicable.]

§ 5-1 Detailed statement and certification required; audit by Treasurer.

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.

§ 5-2 Presentation of claims to governing body.

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.

§ 5-3 Approval or rejection of claims by Council.

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.

§ 5-4 Recording of claims.

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.

§ 5-5 Disbursements; veto of payment by Mayor.

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.

§ 5-6 Preparation and signing of checks.

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.