The budget shall be prepared by the Mayor with
the assistance of the Business Administrator.
A.
On or before April 1 of each year, the Director of
the Department of Community Development, with the assistance of the
Bureau of Planning, shall submit a proposed six-year capital improvement
program to the City Planning Commission for its study and recommendations.
On or before June 1 of each year, after receipt of the report of the
Planning Commission, the Mayor shall submit the program to City Council,
incorporating any of the recommendations of the Planning Commission
which he deems advisable. The program submitted may be modified by
a majority of the members of Council. Passage of the six-year capital
improvement program shall be subject to annual revision.
B.
The Business Administrator shall supervise the administration
of each annual budget. Immediately after the budget has been enacted
and after consultation with the heads of the Departments, he shall
establish quarterly or such other periodic allotments of appropriations
to each Department. At the beginning of each allotment period, the
amount specified shall become available to each Department for obligation
during that period. Such allotments for any Department may be modified,
upon request of the head of the Department, by the Business Administrator,
or by the direction of the Mayor. The Mayor must file with the Controller
and the City Council a copy of each Department/Bureau allotment and
modification thereof. An encumbrance system of accounts to control
all expenditures within the limits of budget appropriations and to
control such allotments shall be maintained by the City Controller.
If at any time during the budget year, the Business Administrator
shall ascertain the probability of a cash deficit, he shall reconsider
the work programs and allotments of the several offices, Departments
and agencies. Upon such reconsideration and with the approval of the
Mayor and Council, the Business Administrator shall revise the allotments
so as to forestall, so far as possible, the making of commitments
and expenditures in excess of the revenue to be realized during the
fiscal year.
[Amended by Ord. No. 29-1994; 7-28-2003 by Ord. No. 195-2003; 6-9-2020 by Ord. No. 9-2020]
A.
No monies shall be paid out of the City Treasury except upon appropriation
previously made by Council and upon warrant pursuant thereto, which
warrant shall explicitly state the purpose for which the money is
to be drawn. No work shall be hired to be done, no material purchased,
no contracts made and no order issued for the payment of any monies
in any amount which will cause the sums appropriated to specific purposes
from funds on hand or estimated to be received within the fiscal year
and not appropriated to any other purpose. Such supplemental appropriations
shall be considered by Council as an ordinance amending the annual
budget.
B.
Except as provided herein, the Business Administrator shall have
the power to authorize the transfer of any unexpended balance of any
appropriation item, or any portion thereof, within a department, but
if it is between departments, then the Business Administrator shall
make such transfer with the approval of Council. Only with the prior
approval of Council may the Business Administrator transfer any unexpended
balance of any appropriation item, or any portion thereof, within
a department or between departments, to:
C.
Expenditures from the contingency fund shall be made only upon the
express approval of Council.
[Amended by Ord. Nos. 76-1980; 29-1981; 105-1981;
20-1982; 44-1982; 66-1984; 112-1986; 101-1991; 76-1991; 47-1993]
A.
For the purchase, leasing or renting of goods, properties, services or supplies, all contracts with the exception of those as specified in § 6-14C that are in the amount of $19,400 or in excess thereof shall be bid competitively through sealed bids. All such bids/specifications and invitations to bidders must be advertised twice on different days in a newspaper of general circulation within the City of Scranton. For purchasing, leasing or renting of goods, properties, services or supplies in the amount of $10,500 to $19,399.99, the Business Administrator and the City Controller will secure three written or telephonic price quotations, and will be responsible for selecting the lowest, most responsible bidder. The City shall be deemed to reserve the right to reject any and all bids in connection with any such contract and to index any increases as per the Department of Labor and Industry Notices Consumer Price Index Adjustment of Base Amounts on Bids Effective January 2015, regarding requirements for public bids, attached hereto as Exhibit A, attached hereto and incorporated herein by reference thereto.
[Amended 12-2-2002 by Ord. No. 86-2002; 4-15-2004 by Ord. No. 26-2004; 3-16-2010 by Ord. No. 14-2010; 9-24-2015 by Ord. No. 108-2015; 3-10-2016 by Ord. No.
12-2016]
B.
The bidding requirements as established by the Administrative
Code may be waived in the event of an emergency. An emergency shall
exist when declared by the Mayor and certified by the Controller.
All emergencies must be submitted to City Council, in writing, within
24 hours of declaration by the Mayor and City Controller.
C.
Professional services contracts.
[Amended 10-12-2010 by Ord. No. 14-2010; 9-24-2015 by Ord. No. 109-2015]
(1)
The
City of Scranton will publicly advertise for professional services
when the payment for such is expected to exceed the threshold of $19,400
in one calendar year.
(2)
Professional
services shall include any profession or occupation which requires
the issuance of a license to practice that profession or occupation
within the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania.
(3)
Professional
services shall exclude any profession or occupation which is required
to be used and/or selected from an approved list provided by an insurance
company, selection of arbitrator(s) pursuant to an agreement to which
the City is a party and/or the engagement of an expert witness to
consult with the City or testify on behalf of the City at the time
of hearing or trial.
(4)
The
City has the right to index any increases as per the Department of
Labor and Industry Notices Consumer Price Index Adjustment of Base
Amounts on Bids Effective January 2015, regarding requirements for
public bids, attached hereto as Exhibit B, attached hereto and incorporated
herein by reference thereto.
D.
All contracts must be reviewed and approved by the
City Solicitor and signed by the Mayor and the Controller or their
designated substitutes and attested to by the City Clerk.
E.
The following purchases, lease or renting for goods,
properties, services or supplies, shall not require advertising or
bidding as required in the Administrative Code:
(1)
Those for maintenance or repair of any public work
of the City in the event that an emergency arises with regard to such
work and there is insufficient time to proceed as set forth in the
Administrative Code.
(2)
Those where a particular property is needed, is subject
to patent or copyright, and the need cannot be satisfied by an equally
satisfactory alternative.
(3)
Those involving public utility service under tariffs
on file with the appropriate governmental regulatory agency, those
made with a state or local or federal government or any agency or
public authority thereof as long as the price for any goods purchased
or leases therefrom is not in excess of that fixed by the seller or
lessor.
F.
In order to provide for the protection of the City,
contracts awarded must require a proper bond, check or other security
to be forfeited for nonperformance; where appropriate, a bond for
the protection of persons furnishing material to or supplying or performing
labor for the City in carrying out of any contract for no fewer than
$1,500 and in excess of $4,000 for construction, repair or addition
to any public work or improvement; whenever the contract involves
the employment of labor that the contractor will accept, with respect
to the work involved, the provisions of the Pennsylvania Workers'
Compensation Act[1] and will either insure his liability from the Pennsylvania
Department of Labor and Industry; whenever the contract involves employment
of labor that the contractor or any subcontractor will not discriminate
on account of race, color, creed or national origin in his hiring
of employees for the performance or work under the contract.
[1]
Editor's Note: See 77 P.S. § 1 et
seq.
G.
This section has specific limits pertaining to the
purchase of used vehicles. The term “vehicles” means police
vehicles, cruisers and/or detective cars and accessories thereto.
When purchasing used vehicles, the bidding limits set forth in the
subsection above are not applicable. The bidding limits set forth
herein pertain to the unit cost of a given vehicle. For the purchase
of used vehicles with a unit cost of up to and including $10,000,
no bidding is necessary. The City of Scranton may engage in direct
negotiation with the vendor of said used vehicles. For used vehicles
for which the unit price exceeds $10,000 but is less than $20,000,
the City of Scranton must obtain three written quotations, as set
forth in the subsection above. If the unit price is $20,000 or more,
then the vehicle must be purchased through formal bidding as set forth
in the subsection above.
[Added 4-12-2007 by Ord. No. 81-2007]
