PHILADELPHIA HOME RULE CHARTER
CHAPTER 1 FISCAL AND BUDGETARY MATTERS
§8-101. Payment of Moneys Out of the City Treasury.
(1) All payments out of the City Treasury shall be by the
check of the City Treasurer issued upon order of the Auditing
Department.
(2) All checks shall be prepared in the office of the City
Treasurer, unless the Director of Finance shall by rule otherwise
prescribe.
(3) The Auditing Department shall issue orders for payments
out of the City Treasury only upon requisition of the officer or of the
department, board, commission or other agency to which the appropriation was
made against which payment is requested.
(4) All requisitions shall be
prepared in triplicate. One copy shall be retained by the requisitioning
officer, department, board, commission or agency, and two copies shall be
delivered to the Director of Finance.
(5) If the Director of Finance
approves a requisition, he shall deliver the original to the Auditing
Department.
(6) If the Auditing Department approves the requisition, it
shall issue its order for payment and shall deliver it to the City Treasurer. If
it disapproves the requisition, it shall attach a memorandum thereto detailing
its objections and return the requisition through the office of the Director of
Finance to the requisitioning officer, department, board, commission or
agency.
ANNOTATION
Sources: See Act of June 25, 1919, P.L. 581, Article XI,
Section 4, Article XII, Section 3, as amended; the Fiscal Code of 1929, Act of
April 9, 1929, P.L. 343, Article XV, as amended.
Purposes: 1. The procedure detailed for the payment of moneys
out of the City Treasury is intended to prevent improper disbursements and to
assure the strictest accountability for such funds as are disbursed. The
safeguards provided for include requirements that funds shall be disbursed only
by checks of the City Treasurer, only upon proper requisitions approved by the
Director of Finance, and only upon approval and the order of the Auditing
Department.
2. Flexibility is provided in the procedure for preparing
checks so that the most economical and efficient method may be employed under
varying circumstances.
3. Requisitions for payment are to originate in the agency
having the appropriation against which the payment is to be charged since it
should know all the facts justifying the requisition and the state of its
funds.
4. Requisitions are to be prepared in triplicate so that the
agency requesting payment and the Director of Finance may each have a copy for
record and accounting purposes and so that the Auditing Department may have a
copy to enable it to approve or disapprove the payment and to submit it to the
City Treasurer.
5. The Director of Finance may disapprove a requisition if
it fails to conform to current budgeting orders or if appropriations are
unavailable to meet it. See Section 6-106. Approval of the Auditing Department
is required to determine if the requisition is for a purpose comprehended by the
appropriation against which it is drawn, in a proper amount and the amount
stated is justly due. See Sections 6-400 and 6-402.