As used in this act, the following words and phrases shall have the meanings respectively ascribed to them herein, unless the context shall otherwise require:

(a) “Municipality” means and includes county, township, city, school district of whatever name or nature, community junior college, municipal university, city, county or district hospital, drainage district, cemetery district, fire district, and other political subdivision or taxing unit, and including their boards, bureaus, commissions, committees and other agencies, such as, but not limited to, library board, park board, recreation commission, hospital board of trustees having power to create indebtedness and make payment of the same independently of the parent unit.

(b) “Governing body” means and includes the board of county commissioners, the governing body of a city, the township board (trustee, clerk and treasurer), board of education or other governing body of a school district, board of trustees of a community junior college, board of regents of a municipal university, the body of a special district (such as a drainage, cemetery, fire or other) which has the power to create indebtedness and is charged with the duty of paying the same, and the board, bureau, commission, committee or other body of an independent agency of a parent unit.

(c) “Claim” means the document relating to and stating an amount owing to the claimant by a municipality for material or service furnished to the municipality, or some action taken by or for the municipality and for which the municipality may or may not be responsible in a liquidated or an unliquidated amount. A claim is liquidated when the amount due or to become due is made certain by agreement of the parties or is fixed by law.

(d) “Warrant” means an instrument ordering the treasurer of a municipality to pay out of a designated fund a specified sum to a named person or party who or which has filed a claim against the municipality.

(e) “Check” means an ordinary check drawn on a depository bank of a municipality by the treasurer of such municipality and payable to the holder of a warrant or warrants issued by the municipality.

(f) “Warrant check” means a combination of warrant and check. It is a negotiable instrument which orders a depository bank to pay to the order of the payee therein named. A warrant check authorizes the bank upon which drawn to charge the municipality’s account with the amount stated therein.

(g) For the purposes of this act the term “audit” shall be construed to mean to examine and render an opinion as to allowance or rejection in whole or in part.

(h) “Employee” means any officer, employee, servant or member of a board, commission, committee, division, department, branch or council of a governmental entity, including elected or appointed officials and persons acting on behalf or in service of a governmental entity in any official capacity, whether with or without compensation.

“Employee” does not include an independent contractor working for a municipality under contract.