Indian Wells City Council
Discussion Topics:
title
Fiscal Policy and Procedures
recommendation
Issue
Does the Council want to add modifying the Fiscal Policy and Procedures as a City Goal? If so, what are the key issues?
body
Existing Conditions
Council Members have raised an opportunity to streamline processes regarding fiscal policies of contract approval, purchasing and warrants. The issue raised most often is one of redundancy. The Council approves the budget setting forth the planned expenditures, approves a contract, a requisition and a warrant. Exploring alternates to the current process to make the process more efficient would result in modifications to the Fiscal Policy and Procedures and perhaps the Municipal Code.
The City's Fiscal Policy and Procedures Manual establish purchasing procedures and required approvals of expenditures. Modifications to the Manual are done by resolution however; Code Section 3.34.010 establishes the Manual and reads:
"The purchasing procedures of the City of Indian Wells are those set forth in the Fiscal Policy and Procedures Manual on file with the City Clerk and the Finance Director/Agency Treasurer, as amended by resolution of the City Council from time to time (Ord. 599 ? 2, 2007)"
The City's Fiscal Policy and Procedures Manual does not address approval of warrants. The practice of approving warrants is found in the Code, Section 3.20.070 which reads in part:
"All claims in amounts over two hundred dollars ($200.00) and claims not otherwise paid shall be audited by the City Council and, if found authorized, correct, and legal, shall be allowed by the City Council and ordered paid. Any claim or demand may be allowed in whole or in part or rejected in whole or in part by the City Council. If any claim or demand is rejected in whole or in part, the fact of such rejection shall be plainly endorsed upon the claim or demand by the City Clerk. (Ord. 4.1 ? 1, 1968: Ord. 4 ? 7, 19...
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