A word about warrants

Details

Category: School Budget and Finance

Published on Friday, 04 September 2020 15:27

Warrants are how your school district pays the bills. In signing a warrant, per MGL Ch. 41, sec. 41:

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.

Warrants must all be reviewed and signed prior to the bill being paid. Per recent updates to MGL c.52, s.52 and MGL c.71, s.16A, a single member may, by school committee vote, be designated to sign warrants as well as (as in the past) sign payroll. If a committee chooses to do this, the warrants must be made available on the next agenda, and, the law warns,this delegation "shall not limit the responsibility of each member of the board in the event of a noncompliance with this section."  

In signing a warrant, you should:
• know and understand what you are signing.
• be given a chance to review the warrants and ask questions as needed.
• know what it is that you've approved.