RECORD TIME TABLE FOR MUNICIPALITIES (GENERAL)

Transcription

1 STATE OF VERMONT RECORD TIME TABLE Vermont State Archives and Records Administration Issued to: Municipalities (General) Vermont Office of the Secretary of State Last Revised: 10/1/ US Rte 2-Middlesex, Montpelier, VT RECORD TIME TABLE FOR MUNICIPALITIES (GENERAL) Authority: Scope: A custodian of public records shall not destroy, give away, sell, discard, or damage any record or records in his or her charge, unless specifically authorized by law or under a record schedule approved by the state archivist pursuant to subdivision 117(a)(5) of Title 3. (1 V.S.A. 317a) This Record Time Table applies to any Municipalities (General) who produces or acquires the records listed in this time table in the course of public agency business. Record means any written or recorded information, regardless of physical form or characteristics, and includes electronic or digital records and data. (1 V.S.A. 317) Use: This Record Time Table is a summary of retention and disposition requirements authorized through Disposition Orders (D.O.) and General Record Schedules (GRS). Internal policies must be established to assure that retention and disposition requirements are being applied correctly. D.O. and GRS numbers shall be cited in all internal policies to demonstrate compliance with 1 V.S.A. 317a. Exemptions: It is the policy of Title 1, Chapter 5, Subchapter 3 of Vermont Statutes Annotated to provide for free and open examination of records consistent with Chapter 1, Article 6 of the Vermont Constitution. All people, however, have a right to privacy in their personal and economic pursuits, which ought to be protected unless specific information is needed to review the action of a governmental officer. Some records listed on this Record Time Table may be exempt from public inspection and copying for this reason. Security measures to protect records and information from unauthorized access, use, and disclosure are necessary if the records are exempt pursuant to 1 V.S.A Legal references regarding exemptions from public inspection and copying are cited in General Record Schedules (GRS) and some Disposition Orders (D.O.). Retention: This Record Time Table reflects the retention and disposition requirements for the following records regardless of their media, format, or mode of transmission. Duplicate records within the same agency that are used for specific legal, fiscal, or administrative purposes may be either retained using the retention requirement listed in this schedule or in accordance to an internal policy. Any copies of records made only for convenience of reference or informational purposes may be discarded when no longer needed unless otherwise directed through an internal policy. Duplicates or copies of records shall not be retained longer than the original records. Page 1 of 8

2 Accounting/Financial Records Produced or Acquired by a Municipalities (General) MINIMUM RECORDKEEPING REQUIREMENTS for Accounting/Financial Records Record Category/Type: Applicability/Use: Minimum Retention/Disposition: Audits Cite as: GRS Bonds Cite as: GRS Correspondence (Substantive) Cite as: GRS Use for final reports received at the conclusion of an audit by the municipality's designated auditor, reviewer, or independent entity. Includes Management Letters, audits related to Federal awards, and auditing industry standard reports, such as internal controls. Retain most recent audit reports at all times and use this schedule for audit reports that have been superseded. For reports that have significant administrative value, retain permanently and use the retention requirements for Reports in GRS (Administrative Policy Records). Use for written orders drawn on a bank or the Treasury of the United States to pay on demand a specified sum of money to a named person, to his order, or to bearer, out of money on deposit to the credit of the writer. Includes notes and loans received by a municipality and significant supporting materials. Use for correspondence that supports decisions related to the management of a municipality's economic activities and financial transactions. Includes correspondence from banks, bank statements and supporting materials. For correspondence that has significant administrative value, retain permanently and follow the retention requirements for Correspondence (Substantive) in GRS Retain audit until superseded, plus 3 years. Then destroy review is complete reflecting pay off. Then destroy Page 2 of 8

3 Declarations Cite as: GRS Use for delegations of authority related to accounting or financial transactions or data. Includes memorandums for appointed individuals to continue in their role, following any municipality head or appointing authority change or transition. Retain most current delegation of authority at all times and use this schedule for records of earlier appointments. Inventories Use for annual physical inventories of municipal assets. Cite as: GRS Invoices Cite as: GRS Ledgers Cite as: GRS Purchase Orders Cite as: GRS Receipts Cite as: GRS Use for documents created by a vendor, grantee, or other institution to initiate payment from the municipality. Includes interdepartmental transfers, tuition invoices, other requests for payment, and supporting material. Use for registers or systems that serve as the formal repository of a municipality's financial accounts and transactions. Includes year end general ledgers, trial balances, and accounting software systems. Use for authorizations to vendors to deliver goods and services, which upon acceptance constitute purchase contracts. Use for documents that provide evidence of money received and deposited. Includes deposit tickets, bank receipts, receipt books, state remittance advice, tax receipts, and similar records. Retain until superseded. Then confirm. Page 3 of 8

4 Reports Cite as: GRS Requests Cite as: GRS Requisitions Cite as: GRS Voucher Cite as: GRS Warrants Cite as: GRS Use for reports and similar narrative statements about the municipality's financial transactions and activities. Includes self assessment questionnaires, expenditure reports, journal entry reports, balance sheets, monthly budget comparisons, year end closing reports, marriage and dog license returns, financial statements prepared by a CPA (without an audit), municipal financial statements, check registers, cash disbursement journals, and related documentation of the municipality's financial activities required by law or regulation. For audit reports, use "Audits." For reports that have significant administrative value, retain permanently following the retention requirements for reports in GRS Use for written expressions or demands for assistance, services, actions, or acknowledgements related to a municipality's financial activities. Use for requests for a purchase order that create preencumbrances of funds. Includes invoices or bills issued from the municipality and paid by others, and supporting materials. For property tax bills use the retention requirements for Assessments in GRS (Tax Assessments and Related Records). Use for documents that serve as the basis for cutting checks or generating payments and recording financial transactions to pay a vendor. Includes paid bills, check and paycheck stubs, and school orders including stubs. Use for written pay orders that instruct a municipal official to pay the warrant holder on demand or after a maturity date. Includes Selectboard and municipal warrants or orders, payroll warrants, and certificates demonstrating approval for payment by the Treasurer. Does not include tax related warrants at this time. Then destroy Page 4 of 8

5 Worksheets Cite as: GRS Use for worksheets, spreadsheets, and similar records used to track daily accounting information or make preliminary calculations related to the financial activities of the municipality. Includes cash receipt summaries and income receipt reports. Page 5 of 8

6 Payroll Records Produced or Acquired by a Municipalities (General) MINIMUM RECORDKEEPING REQUIREMENTS for Payroll Records Record Category/Type: Applicability/Use: Minimum Retention/Disposition: Authorizations Cite as: GRS Certificates Cite as: GRS Claims Cite as: GRS Correspondence (Substantive) Cite as: GRS Use for authorizations to add, change, or alter payroll. Includes requests from employees for direct deposit, name and address changes, payroll deductions such as union dues, deferred compensation, and requests from other sources including wage garnishments and court ordered withholdings. Retain most current authorizations at all times and use this schedule for authorizations that have been superseded. For W-4s, use recordkeeping requirements for "Claims." Use for time and expense certifications that are signed and submitted by designated timekeepers to certify the accuracy and completeness of the payroll information they entered and recorded into the official payroll register. Use for Employee's Withholding Allowance Certificates (W-4), Federal Tax Deposit Witheld Income (Federal Form 501), Earned Income Credit Advance Payment (W-5), Withholding Exemption Certificate (VW-100). Retain until superseded and at least four (4) years after the due date of such tax for the return period to which the records relate, or the date such tax is paid, whichever is the later. Use for correspondence concerning payments that are significant in importance. Retain claims until superseded, plus 4 years. Page 6 of 8

7 Declarations Cite as: GRS Notices, Legal Cite as: GRS Registers Cite as: GRS Reports Cite as: GRS Use for delegations of authority. Includes memorandums for appointed individuals, such as the town treasurer to continue following any appointing authority or selectboard change and payroll delegations. Retain most current delegation of authority at all times and use this schedule for records of earlier appointments. Use for any notices required by law to be served on an employee. Includes notices to employees related to civil action in which an employee's employment records are being sought. Use for official payroll register or system where payroll transactions are recorded and summarized, including the number of hours worked by employees during a particular pay period. Includes software programs and databases. Use for time sheets, attendance, and expense reimbursement source documents that are completed by employees, signed by their supervisor, and then used to input time, attendance, and expense reimbursement information into the official payroll register. Includes time reports used for calculating wages. Retain until issue is completed or closed, plus 1 year. Then destroy Retain until superseded. Then confirm register does/does not meet VSARA Appraisal Criteria. If record meets appraisal criteria maintain permanently, if record does not meet criteria destroy (shred). Page 7 of 8

8 Returns Cite as: GRS Worksheets Cite as: GRS Use for official or formal reports by a payroll official. Includes Wage and Tax Statements such as W-2, W-3, Employer's Quarterly Return (Federal Form 941 or W-1), Witholding Statements (Federal Form W-2d), Social Security Witholding Report Sheets (OAR S-3a, S-3, SSA-3963-C1), Withholding statement showing wages paid and income tax withheld (State Form VW-102), Reconciliation of Quaterly Returns (State Form VW-110), information returns (1099 Form), and reports to the Dept of Labor. For returns subject to 26 CFR Part 31, retain at least four (4) years after the due date of such tax for the return period to which the records relate, or the date such tax is paid, whichever is the later. Use for forms, checklists and other worksheets used to prepare or update a formal or ongoing record or informally track workflow. Includes municipal working papers for payroll. Retain until completed or closed, plus 4 years. Retain until obsolete or no longer needed. Then destroy PLEASE NOTE: This is a basic summary of record schedules approved by the Vermont State Archivist pursuant to 1 V.S.A. 317a and 3 V.S.A For some records, retention and disposition requirements may have been authorized through disposition orders issued by the former Public Records Advisory Board. All record schedules and disposition orders cited in this State of Vermont Record Time Table are available on the Vermont State Archives and Records Administration's website and shall be reviewed and verified by the records custodian prior to applying any record retention or disposition requirements to any records listed in this summary. Page 8 of 8