The common council may levy a tax for general governmental purposes and for the payment of principal and interest of the bonded municipal debt and for the amount of other indebtedness of the city lawfully contracted.
(a) 
All claims against the city shall be acted upon by the common council at least once each month upon days to be designated for the purpose by the common council. All claims must be presented in writing, setting forth the items of the claim, and be approved by the board or officer authorizing the same. Claims shall be numbered and filed with the city clerk-treasurer. Each claim and demand for services rendered or materials furnished to the city must be presented to the city clerk-treasurer within 60 days after the rendition of the last services or the last delivery of materials charged for therein; the common council shall not allow or cause to be paid any claim or demand for services or materials not presented in conformity with this provision, except by a two-thirds vote of all members of the common council.
(b) 
To be considered at a meeting of the common council a claim must have been presented to the city clerk-treasurer by the agenda deadline for the meeting.
(c) 
The city accountant or city clerk-treasurer shall not pay any claim prohibited by statute.
(d) 
The common council shall not allow or pay any account for services rendered or materials furnished or disbursements made unless such account be made out in items and accompanied by an affidavit attached thereto, made by the person claiming the same, that the items of such account are correct, that the services, disbursements and materials charged therein have been made and rendered, that no part thereof has been paid or satisfied and that there is no prohibited interest in the claim.
(a) 
The city clerk-treasurer shall pay out moneys only upon warrants signed by the mayor and countersigned by the city clerk-treasurer. No such warrant shall be drawn except for the purpose of payment of lawful indebtedness of the city, as determined after an audit or examination of the amount claimed to be due therefor. No warrant shall be paid by the city clerk-treasurer unless a certificate is filed with the city clerk-treasurer that states the date, amount and character of the claim audited.
(b) 
The city clerk-treasurer shall prepare a uniform form for warrants to be issued by city officers and city employees and no other form shall be used.
(a) 
On or before October 1 each year, the mayor shall submit to the common council a budget for the ensuing fiscal year and an accompanying message.
[Amended 10-5-2010 by L.L. No. 5-2010; 12-20-2011 by L.L. No. 1-2012]
(b) 
The message shall explain the budget, both in fiscal terms and in terms of the work programs. It shall outline the proposed financial policies of the city for the ensuing fiscal year, describe the important features of the budget, indicate any major changes from the current year in financial policies, expenditures and revenues together with the reasons for such changes, summarize the city's debt position and include such other material as the mayor deems desirable.
(c) 
The budget shall provide a complete financial plan of all city funds and activities for the ensuing fiscal year and except as required by law or this charter, shall be in such form as the mayor deems desirable or the council may require. In organizing the budget, the mayor shall utilize the most feasible combination of expenditure classification by fund, organization unit, program, purpose or activity, and object. Budget shall begin with a clear, general summary of its contents; shall show in detail all estimated income, indicating the proposed property tax levy, and all proposed expenditures, including debt service, for the ensuing fiscal year, and shall be so arranged as to show comparative figures for actual and estimated income and expenditures of the preceding fiscal year.
(d) 
The budget shall indicate in separate sections:
(1) 
Proposed expenditures for current operations during the ensuing fiscal year, detailed by offices, departments and agencies in terms of their respective work programs, and the method of financing such expenditures;
(2) 
Proposed capital expenditures during the ensuing fiscal year, detailed by offices, departments and agencies, when practicable, and the proposed method of financing each such capital expenditure; and
(3) 
Anticipated net surplus or deficit for the ensuing fiscal year of each utility owned or operated by the city and the proposed method of its disposition; subsidiary budget for each such utility giving detailed income and expenditure information shall be attached as appendices to the budget.
(e) 
The total of proposed expenditures in a budget shall not exceed the total of estimated income for such budget.
(a) 
A public hearing on the proposed budget shall be held by the common council. The common council shall publish in a newspaper of general circulation in the city a general summary of the budget and a notice stating:
(1) 
The times and places where copies of the message and budget are available for inspection by the public.
(2) 
The time and place, not less than two weeks after such publication, for the public hearing on the budget.
(3) 
That interested parties may appear at the hearing and be heard with respect to the proposed budget.
(b) 
After the public hearing the common council may adopt the budget with or without amendment. In amending budget, the common council may add or increase programs or amounts and may delete or decrease any programs or amounts, except expenditures required by law or for debt service or for estimated cash deficit, provided that no amendment to the budget shall increase the authorized expenditures to an amount greater than the total of estimated income.
(c) 
The common council by resolution shall adopt the budget on or before November 15 of the fiscal year currently ending. The mayor may disapprove the entire budget or one or more specific appropriations or budget items pursuant to section 2.023 of this charter. The common council may then override the mayor’s disapproval pursuant to section 2.023 of this charter. The common council shall meet no later than December 31 to consider overriding the mayor's veto of budget items. If the common council fails to adopt the budget by November 15, the budget submitted by the mayor pursuant to section 5.021 of this charter shall be deemed adopted for the ensuing fiscal year. Adoption of the budget shall constitute appropriations of the amounts specified therein as expenditures from the funds indicated and if authorized by state law shall constitute a levy of the property taxes, and fees therein proposed.
[Amended 10-5-2010 by L.L. No. 5-2010; 12-20-2011 by L.L. No. 1-2012]
(a) 
If during the fiscal year the city clerk-treasurer certifies that there are available for appropriation revenues in excess of those estimated in the budget, the common council may make supplemental appropriations for the year up to the amount of such excess.
(b) 
The common council may make emergency appropriations to meet a public emergency affecting life, health, property or the public peace.
(c) 
If during the fiscal year it appears probable to the city clerk-treasurer that the revenue available will be insufficient to meet the amount appropriated, the city clerk-treasurer shall report to the common council without delay, indicating the estimated amount of the deficit, any remedial action taken and recommendations as to any other steps to be taken. The common council shall then take such further action as it deems necessary to prevent any deficit and for that purpose it may reduce one or more appropriations.
(d) 
No appropriation for debt service may be reduced or transferred and no appropriation may be reduced below any current amount required by law to be appropriated or by more than the amount of the unencumbered balance thereof. The supplemental and emergency appropriations and reduction or transfer of appropriations authorized by this section may be made effective immediately upon adoption.
Every appropriation, except an appropriation for a capital expenditure, shall lapse at the close of the fiscal year to the extent that it has not been expended or encumbered. An appropriation for a capital expenditure shall continue in force until the purpose for which it was made has been accomplished or abandoned; the purpose of any such appropriation shall be deemed abandoned if five years pass without any disbursement from or encumbrance of the appropriation.