[HISTORY: Adopted by the Borough Council
of the Borough of Hampton 9-10-1984. Amendments noted where applicable.]
Pursuant to N.J.S.A. 40A:5-16a, any person claiming
payment from the Borough of Hampton shall first submit a detailed
statement of the items or demand necessitating such claim, specifying
particularly how the bill or demand is made up, with the certification
of the party claiming payment that it is correct.
Pursuant to N.J.S.A. 40A:5-16b, no bill, claim
or demand shall be considered for payment unless the voucher has attached
to it or includes a certification of some officer or duly designated
Borough employee having personal knowledge of the facts that the goods
have been received by or the services rendered to the Borough of Hampton.
Pursuant to N.J.S.A. 40A:5-17a(1) and (2), the Borough Clerk is hereby designated as the certifying and approval officer of the Borough of Hampton, and the Clerk's duties shall include the making of certifications required by § 13-2 above, ascertaining the existence of proper and sufficient appropriations for the payments to be made and determining that there is legal authority for the payments, evidenced by action of a purchasing department or agent or officer in respect to the goods or services ordered and the incurring of the expense therefor.
The following certified bills and claims shall
be submitted to the Borough Clerk no later than one day prior to the
meeting of the Mayor and Borough Council of the Borough of Hampton
at which the same will be considered: salary for full- and part-time
employees of the Borough; insurance bills and taxes payable to duly
authorized governing bodies. All other bills or claims duly certified
shall be presented to the Borough Clerk not later than 14 days prior
to the meeting of the Mayor and Borough Council of the Borough of
Hampton at which the same will be considered. 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 governing
body shall be listed systematically and without preference, and said
list shall be made available to every member of the governing body
prior to its former action.
The Mayor and Borough Council of the Borough
of Hampton shall approve or disapprove all claims in the manner prescribed
by this chapter and in accordance with law. If the governing body
shall reject any claim presented to it, it shall state the reason
for such rejection, and the disapproved claim shall be referred back
to the Borough Clerk with such instructions as the governing body
may give at the time of disapproval.
If it appears to the Mayor and Borough Council
of the Borough of Hampton that any claim requires further study or
investigation, the governing body may withhold action on the claim
for a reasonable period of time pending further study or investigation.
It shall be the duty of the Borough 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 approved or disapproved
bills or claims shall be available for public inspection.
The Chief Financial Officer shall make disbursements
upon receipt of an order by the Mayor and Borough Council of the Borough
of Hampton, attested by the Borough Clerk.
After the Borough Clerk has certified that the
claims have been approved, the Clerk shall turn the same over to the
Chief Financial Officer, who shall forthwith prepare the necessary
checks for the payment thereof, which said checks shall be signed
by the Mayor or President of the Borough Council and by the Chief
Financial Officer and by the Clerk or Deputy Clerk. After preparing
checks for the payment of claims, the Chief Financial Officer shall
record them in proper books of account. The Clerk shall mail or deliver
the checks to the claimants.
