Cash & Investments

• Accounts for and invests all available cash
• Disburses all City funds via accounts payable and payroll warrant process
• Maintains all records for and properly disburses the City's various tax withholding obligations
• Administers all City investments and trust funds

Cash Receipts Procedures

Municipal Officers and Departments are required to turn over money to the Treasurer weekly or more frequently. The following list identifies some of these officers, departments and other sources of cash received by the Treasurer

• The Tax Collector's Office
• Municipal Officers and Departments who collect fees, permits, licenses, rental income, or other miscellaneous receipts
• State and Federal Agencies via electronic transfers
• Miscellaneous monies received by the Treasurer from a variety of other sources such as: refunds from vendors, health insurance payments from retirees, and insurance recoveries from fire or physical damage policies.

Municipal Officers and Departments shall enter cash received into the Zobrio Cash Management System

• The heading of this schedule includes the SOP#, the name of the department originating the schedule, and the date the schedule is prepared. The actual schedule should list each payment, stating from whom it originated, the source of the funds, and the amount.
• Each department should print three copies of the SOP report, each should be signed by the responsible official in the originating department. The SOP report along with collected cash and checks, is given to the Treasurer for verification. The Treasurer or her designee will count the funds, sign and date stamp the receipt, and return the receipt to the originating department. The department should retain a copy of Form 10 along with the receipt. A duplicate form shall also be provided to the Auditor's Office.

Cash Disbursement Procedures

The Treasurer possesses sole responsibility to pay the bills of the City and must make such payments in strict accordance with the General Laws. This responsibility is set out in MGL c41 §35, which states, "[The Treasurer] shall receive and take charge of all money belonging to the City, and pay over and account for the same according to the order of the City or its authorized officers. No other person shall pay any bill of any department."

MGL c 41 §52 and §56 detail the mandatory procedures for submitting, approving, and paying bills. Section 56 states, in part:

1. The Mayor, City Council, and all boards, committees, heads of departments and officers authorized to expend money shall approve and transmit to the City Auditor as often as once each month all bills, drafts, orders and payrolls chargeable to the respective appropriations of which they have the expenditure. Such approval shall be given only after an examination to determine that the charges are correct and that the goods, materials or services charged for were ordered and that such goods and materials were delivered and that the services were actually rendered to or for the town as the case may be.
2. The City Auditor shall examine all such bills, drafts, orders and payrolls, and, if found correct and approved as herein provided, shall draw a warrant upon the Treasurer for the payment of the same, and the Treasurer shall pay no money from the treasury except upon such warrant approved by the City Council.
3. The Treasurer shall not pay any claim or bill disallowed by the City Auditor as being fraudulent, unlawful, or excessive. The DOR has consistently held that an expenditure is "excessive" when the appropriation is exhausted.