Claims Procedure
Any person claiming payment from the Township of Kingwood 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. (See N.J.S.A. 40A:5-16a.)
No bill, claim or demand shall be considered for payment unless, prior to the purchase or order for such goods or services, the appropriate department head or municipal official shall have first conferred with the Chief Financial Officer for the purpose of ascertaining the existence of adequate funds for such purchase and for the purpose of encumbering such funds and, subsequent to the purchase of goods or services, the voucher presented has attached to it or includes a certification of the municipal officer or duly designated Township employee having personal knowledge of the facts that the goods have been received by or the services rendered to the Township of Kingwood and that the funds for payment of such goods and services have been previously encumbered through the Chief Financial Officer.
The Chief Financial Officer is hereby designated as the certifying and approval officer of the Township of Kingwood, and the Chief Financial Officer's duties shall include the making of certifications required above, ascertaining the existence of proper and sufficient appropriations for the encumbrances and payments to be made and determining that there is 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 encumbrance and expense therefor. [See N.J.S.A. 40A:5-17a(1) and (2)].
All bills or claims duly certified shall be presented to the Chief Financial Officer not later than five days prior to the Township Committee meeting at which the same will be considered. It shall be the duty of the Chief Financial 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 and without preference, and said list shall be made available to every member of the Township Committee prior to formal action by that body.
The Township Committee shall approve or disapprove all claims in the manner prescribed by this chapter and in accordance with the law. If the Township Committee 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 Chief Financial Officer with such instructions as the Township Committee may give at the time of disapproval.
If it appears to the Township Committee that any claim requires further study or investigation, the Township Committee may withhold action on the claim for a reasonable period of time pending further study or investigation.
It shall be the duty of the Township 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 Township Committee, attested by the Township Clerk.
After the 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; said checks shall be signed by the Mayor or Deputy Mayor and by the Chief Financial Officer and by the Clerk or Deputy Clerk. In the case of salaries, wages and other compensation to individuals for services where remuneration has been set by municipal ordinance or resolution, payment may be made by check drawn by any one of the following four officers: the Mayor, Deputy Mayor, Clerk or Deputy Clerk, and countersigned by the Chief Financial Officer. 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.