(A) Payment of just debts of the county prior to due date. The Warrick County Auditor is directed to make payment of those expenses listed in division (D) below prior to its due date when qualified claims have been filed with the County Auditor in a correct and timely manner, as provided under this section.
(B) Claim voucher process.
(1) Claim vouchers for all claims, including for credit card charges, must be submitted to the Warrick County Auditor's Office as soon as reasonably possible after the expense giving rise to the claim is incurred, and as soon as the necessary and relevant information is available in order for said claim to be properly submitted to the Auditor's Office.
(2) Claim vouchers for credit card charges are considered qualified, correct, and timely if the claim voucher:
(a) Is executed on County Form 17;
(b) Is submitted with an itemized written receipt attached;
(c) Contains a charge for a lawful expense of Warrick County, as determined by the Indiana Code;
(d) Is properly signed and authenticated as true and correct by the person submitting the claim;
(e) Is submitted to the Warrick County Auditor's Office within a reasonable time after purchase (preferably 48 hours) or within a reasonable time upon return to work if incurred outside of Warrick County(preferably within 48 hours of return); and
(f) Is submitted to the Warrick County Auditor's Office no later than ten business days before the payment on the credit card is due.
(3) Notwithstanding any other provision under this section to the contrary, payroll claim vouchers, along with any and all substantiating and supporting documentation required under this section, may be electronically submitted to the Warrick County Auditor's Office for processing and payment.
(4) Those Warrick County offices or departments that are not physically located in the Warrick County Judicial Center may electronically submit claims to an email address selected by the Warrick County Auditor so as to submit such claims within 48 hours of being incurred in accordance with this division (B). Notwithstanding the foregoing, all such offices and departments not physically located in the Warrick County Judicial Center shall physically deliver the original claims, receipts, or other necessary supporting documents to the Warrick County Auditor's Office no later than 12:00 p.m. noon on Friday of each week.
(5) If an individual fails to submit a claim voucher in accordance with this division (B), then that person shall have a continuing obligation to correct any information necessary for the claim voucher to come into compliance with this division. The Warrick County Auditor shall take action to reasonably expedite communication with the office holder or department head to obtain the corrected claim voucher in a timely manner.
(6) If a dispute arises as to whether a claim voucher was qualified, correct, or timely submitted to the Warrick County Auditor's Office, the Warrick County Board of Commissioners shall in its discretion determine whether said claim voucher was qualified and submitted in a correct and timely manner.
(7) This section is adopted by virtue of I.C. 36-2-6-4.5, which specifically provides that a county executive may adopt an ordinance allowing money to be disbursed for lawful county purposes under this section and further provides that, notwithstanding I.C. 5-11-10 et seq., with the prior written approval of the Board having jurisdiction over the allowance of claims, the County Auditor may make claim payments in advance of Board allowance for certain kinds of expenses including, without limitation, those expenses listed in division (D), below; provided that such expenses are supported by a fully itemized invoice or bill and certification by the County Auditor and further provided that the county executive or County Board having jurisdiction over the allowance of the claim shall review and allow the claim at its next regular or special meeting following the pre-approved payment of the expense; and that such payment of expenses under this section must be published in the manner provided under I.C. 36-2-6-3.
(C) Review and presentation of claims by Auditor.
(1) No later than 4:00 p.m. on the Wednesday immediately preceding the Board of Commissioners' next regularly scheduled meeting, the Auditor shall submit to the Board of Commissioners a voucher list itemizing and describing any and all claims to be reviewed by the Board of Commissioners at said meeting.
(2) The voucher list referenced in division (C)(1), above, shall include any and all claims that have been submitted to the Auditor's Office by 12:00 p.m. noon, six business days prior to the Board of Commissioners' next regularly scheduled meeting.
(3) The Auditor shall include on the voucher list referenced in division (C)(1), above, all claims submitted to the Auditor's Office by the deadline referenced in division (C)(2), including claims certified and non-certified by the Auditor, in addition to payroll claims as well as those claims which the Auditor is unable to determine to be certified or non-certified.
(4) The Auditor shall deliver original copies of any and all claims as described on the voucher list referenced in division (C)(1) to the Board of Commissioners by 12:00 p.m. noon on the Friday immediately preceding the Board of Commissioners' next regularly scheduled meeting. Following the conclusion of said regularly scheduled meeting of the Board of Commissioners, the Board of Commissioners shall return the possession of all original claims to the Auditor.
(D) Claims to be paid by Auditor.
(1) The Warrick County Auditor is directed to make claim payments in advance of Warrick County Board of Commissioners allowance for the following kinds of expenses:
(a) Property or services purchased or leased from the United States government, its agencies or its political subdivision;
(b) Insurance premiums;
(c) Utility payments or utility connection charges;
(d) General grant programs where advance funding is not prohibited and the contracting party posts sufficient security to cover the amount advanced;
(e) Grant of state funds authorized by statute;
(f) Maintenance or service agreements;
(g) Lease or rental payments;
(h) Bond and coupon payments;
(i) Payroll;
(j) State or federal taxes;
(k) Expenses that must be paid because of emergency circumstances;
(l) Expenses described in an ordinance;
(m) Contract payments;
(n) Qualified, correct, and timely credit card claims if the due date for the credit card is prior to the time the Board of Commissioners can approve same;
(o) Payments to contractors which enable said contractors to purchase materials needed for a public works project of the county, in accordance with I.C. 5-11-10-1.6(d)(3); and
(p) Payments for goods and services prior to delivery of said goods or completion of said services, subject to the Warrick County Council's authorization for making such advance payments, in accordance with I.C. 5-11-10-1.6(d)(4).
(2) Each payment of expense must be supported by a fully itemized invoice or bill as described above in division (B), above, and certification by the Warrick County Auditor.
(3) The Warrick County Board of Commissioners having jurisdiction over the allowance of the claim shall review and allow the claim at its next regular or special meeting following the pre-approved payment of the expense.
(4) Payments made under this division (D) may be made via an online portal where applicable and as appropriate.
(5) A payment of expenses under this section must be published in the manner provided under I.C. 36-2-6-3.
(BC Ord. 2002-07, passed 8-7-02; Am. BC Ord. 2002-08, passed 8-7-02; Am. BC Ord. 2017-24, passed 9-25-17; Am. BC Ord. 2021-18, passed 4-12-21; Am. BC Ord. 2021-28, passed 8-9-21; Am. BC Ord. 2023-22, passed 10-9-23)