6.3.2 Location Spending and Signing Authority and Approvals
Spending authority and approvals vary depending on whether the location is a parish, high school, or elementary school. Spending approvals and signing authority limits cannot be circumvented by structuring an expenditure into multiple transactions below the authorized amounts.
6.3.2.1 Parish Spending and Signing Authority and Approvals
A parish may spend up to $20,000 on any given purchase or service without prior approval from the
Archdiocesan Catholic Center (ACC). Only the pastor/administrator may sign contracts up to $20,000 on behalf of the parish. Any non-construction expense above $20,000 must receive prior written approval from the regional bishop and the appropriate office at the ACC. The pastor may designate one member of the Finance Council to review and approve disbursements not exceeding $3,000 when the pastor is absent for an extended period of time.
Parishes must also obtain approval from the regional bishop, the
Office of the Legal Counsel, and any appropriate archdiocesan department for any multiyear contracts or agreements, any contracts or agreements that extend beyond the current budget year, or any contracts or agreements where the aggregate amount of the payment commitment exceeds $20,000.
Pastors/administrators are authorized to sign small construction project contracts up to $30,000; the Major Projects approval process applies to any construction project above $30,000. Significant additional limits on authority that apply to real estate leases and other real property transactions are identified in
Real Estate Policies and Procedures.
A C3 Resource Specialist must be consulted before purchasing or leasing computers, laptops, or similar devices.
6.3.2.2 Archdiocesan High School Signing Authority and Approvals
Archdiocesan high school principals and presidents are authorized to:
Issue payments or checks of $20,000 or less, other than preapproved and budgeted recurring expenses such as insurance and
payroll. Payments exceeding $20,000 require signatures from two authorized signatories with the approval of the Department of Catholic Schools.
Sign purchase orders, invoices or contracts for up to $20,000, subject to the limits of the budget approved by the Department of Catholic Schools.
Sign a one-year agreement with teaching staff according to the salary schedule, subject to the limits of the budget approved by the Department of Catholic Schools.
Enter into
service contracts up to $20,000 for the current year, subject to review by the
Office of the Legal Counsel
Purchase motor vehicles, but only with the prior approval of the
Department of Catholic Schools and after all necessary requirements of the Insurance Department are met.
Principals and presidents must also obtain approval from the
Department of Catholic Schools, the
Office of the Legal Counsel, and any appropriate archdiocesan department for any multiyear contracts or agreements, any contracts or agreements that extend beyond the current budget year, or any contracts or agreements where the aggregate amount of the payment commitment exceeds $20,000.
Significant additional limits on authority that apply to real estate leases and other real property transactions are identified in
Real Estate Policies and Procedures.
A C3 Resource Specialist should be consulted before purchasing or leasing computers, laptops, or similar devices.
6.3.2.3 Parish High School Signing Authority and Approvals
Parish high school principals and presidents are authorized to:
Issue payments or checks of $20,000 or less, other than preapproved and budgeted recurring expenses such as insurance and payroll. Payments exceeding $20,000 require signatures from two authorized signatories with the approval of the pastor.
Sign purchase orders, invoices, or contracts for up to $20,000, subject to the limits of the budget approved by the pastor.
Sign a one-year agreement with teaching staff according to the salary schedule, subject to the limits of the budget approved by the pastor.
Enter into service contracts up to $20,000 for the current year, subject to review by the Office of the Legal Counsel.
Purchase motor vehicles, but only with the prior approval of the pastor and after all necessary requirements of the Insurance Department are met.
Principals and presidents must also obtain approval from the pastor, the Office of the Legal Counsel, and any appropriate archdiocesan department for any multiyear contracts or agreements, any contracts or agreements that extend beyond the current budget year, or any contracts or agreements where the aggregate amount of the payment commitment exceeds $20,000.
Significant additional limits on authority that apply to real estate leases and other real property transactions are identified in Real Estate Policies and Procedures.
A C3 Resource Specialist should be consulted before purchasing or leasing computers, laptops, or similar devices.
6.3.2.4 Elementary School Signing Authority and Approvals
Elementary school principals are authorized to:
Sign employment contracts for teachers with the pastor's co-signature
Sign contracts and incur costs for up to $3,000 (subject to the limits of the approved budget)
Approve recurring expenses for items that exceed $3,000, such as health insurance and payroll, so long as the items are included in the budget and have been preapproved by the pastor
Only pastors may sign copier leases.
Significant additional limits on authority that apply to real estate leases and other real property transactions are identified in
Real Estate Policies and Procedures.
Elementary school principals are not authorized to be the sole signatory of
construction and repair contracts in any amount; all such contracts must be signed by the pastor/administrator, who may ask the principal to cosign to confirm that the cost has been budgeted and properly approved.
Because elementary schools are part of the parish, all authority and approvals not identified in this section are subject to the rules set forth in
Parish Authority and Approvals.
A C3 Resource Specialist should be consulted before purchasing or leasing computers, laptops, or similar devices.
6-10-21, 10-29-21