N.Y. Comp. Codes R. & Regs. tit. 9 § 1642-2.2
All commitments of a local agency shall be of record. The power to make commitments resides in the governing body of the local agency. The local agency may, however, through its governing body, delegate authority to make commitments to a designated person or persons. Such delegation of authority shall be recorded in the minutes of the local agency and shall spell out clearly the person or persons designated and the extent of the authority delegated. The bulk of the local agency's commitments will be in the form of contracts and purchase orders. These shall be of record prior to the date of service or the delivery of materials. Other commitments will take the form of approved travel vouchers, payrolls, authorized rent and security deposit refunds, etc. Certain commitments, such as contracts for the purchase of land and for the construction of the project, etc., require the prior approval of the division before being entered into. While all commitments shall be of record, the point at which the commitment is reflected in the accounts will depend on the nature of the commitment. Thus, commitments for development contracts and changes therein will be fully reflected in the accounts, as they are entered into, as described in Part 1646, Development Period Accounting. Other commitments, such as purchase orders and travel vouchers, will be reflected in the accounts only as they are vouchered for payment, as described in section 1642-2.4, etc. However, commitments for services rendered or materials delivered as of the end of a fiscal year, which have not yet been vouchered for payment, should be reflected as accrued liabilities at the end of the fiscal year.
N.Y. Comp. Codes R. & Regs. Tit. 9 § 1642-2.2