The fiscal year of the City shall begin on the first day of January and end on the last day of December of each year.
The council shall provide for an independent annual audit of all City accounts and may provide for such more frequent audits as it deems necessary. Such audits shall be made by a certified public accountant or firm of such accountants who have no personal interest, direct or indirect, in the fiscal affairs of the City government or any of its officers. The council may, without requiring competitive bids, designate such accountant or firm annually or for a period not exceeding three years.
The manager's message shall explain the budget both in fiscal terms and in terms of 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 manager deems desirable.
The budget shall provide a complete financial plan of all City funds and activities for the ensuing fiscal year and, except as required by this charter, shall be in such form as the manager deems desirable or the council may require. In organizing the budget, the manager shall utilize the most feasible combination of expenditure classification by fund, organization unit, program, purpose or activity, and object. The budget shall contain, among other things, the following;
A. 
It shall begin with a general summary of its contents.
B. 
It shall show in detail all estimated income, indicating the existing and proposed tax levies, as well as other assessments, fees and charges.
C. 
It shall show all proposed expenditures, including debt service, for the ensuing fiscal year.
D. 
It shall show the number of proposed employees in every job classification.
E. 
It shall be so arranged as to show comparative figures for actual and estimated income and expenditures for the current fiscal year and actual income and expenditures of the preceding fiscal year.
F. 
It shall indicate proposed expenditures during the ensuing fiscal year, detailed by offices, departments and agencies, in terms of their respective work programs and the methods of financing such expenditures.
G. 
It shall indicate 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.
H. 
It shall indicate 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 budgets for each such utility giving detailed income and expenditure information shall be attached as appendices to the budget.
The total of proposed expenditures shall not exceed the total of estimated income.
The manager shall prepare and submit to the council a five year capital program at least three months prior to the final date for submission of the budget. The capital program shall include:
A. 
A clear general summary of its contents.
B. 
A list of all capital improvements which are proposed to be undertaken during the five fiscal years next ensuing, with appropriate supporting information as to the necessity for such improvements.
C. 
Cost estimates, method of financing and recommended time schedules for each such improvement; and
D. 
The estimated annual cost of operating and maintaining the facilities to be constructed or acquired.
The above information may be revised and extended each year with regard to capital improvements still pending or in process of construction or acquisition.
A. 
Notice and hearing. Prior to adoption, the council shall publish one time in a newspaper of general circulation in the City a notice stating:
(1) 
The times and places where copies of the message and budget are available for inspection by the public, and
(2) 
The time and place, not less than two weeks after such publication, for a public hearing on the budget.
B. 
Amendments before adoption. The council may adopt the budget with or without amendment. In amending the budget, it 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. 
Adoption. The council shall adopt the budget on or before the 31st day of the 12th month of the fiscal year currently ending. If it fails to adopt the budget, the amount appropriated for current operation for the current fiscal year shall be deemed adopted for the ensuing fiscal year on a month to month basis, with all items in it prorated accordingly, until such time as the council adopts a budget for the ensuing fiscal year. Adoption of the budget shall constitute appropriations of the amounts specified therein as expenditures from the funds indicated and shall constitute a levy of the property tax therein proposed.
A. 
Notice and hearing. Prior to adoption the council shall publish one time in a newspaper of general circulation in the City a notice stating:
(1) 
The times and places where copies of the capital program are available for inspection by the public, and
(2) 
The time and place, not less than two weeks after such publication, for a public hearing on the capital program.
B. 
Adoption. The council by ordinance shall adopt the capital program with or without amendment after the public hearing and on or before the 31st day of the 12th month of the current fiscal year.
Copies of the budget and the capital program as adopted shall be public records and shall be made available to the public at suitable places in the City.
A. 
Supplemental appropriations. If during the fiscal year the manager certifies that there are available for appropriation revenues in excess of those estimated in the budget, the council by ordinance may make supplemental appropriations for the year up to the amount of such excess.
B. 
Emergency appropriations. To meet a public emergency affecting life, health, property or the public peace, the council may make emergency appropriations. Such appropriations may be made by emergency ordinance in accordance with the provisions of § C5-506. To the extent that there are no available unappropriated revenues to meet such appropriations, the council may by such emergency ordinance authorize the issuance of emergency notes, which may be renewed from time to time, but the emergency notes and renewals of any fiscal year shall be paid not later than the last day of the fiscal year next succeeding that in which the emergency appropriation was made.
C. 
Reduction of appropriations. If at any time during the fiscal year it appears probable to the manager that the revenues available will be insufficient to meet the amount appropriated, he shall report to the council without delay, indicating the estimated amount of the deficit, any remedial action taken by him and his recommendations as to any other steps to be taken. The council shall then take such further action as it deems necessary to prevent or minimize any deficit and for that purpose it may by ordinance reduce one or more appropriations.
D. 
Transfer of appropriations. At any time during the fiscal year the manager may transfer part or all of any unencumbered appropriation balance among programs within a department, office or agency and, upon written request by the manager, the council may by ordinance transfer part or all of any unencumbered appropriation balance from one department, office or agency to another.
E. 
Limitations; effective date. No appropriation for debt service may be reduced or transferred, and no appropriation may be reduced below any 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 if three years pass without any disbursement from or encumbrance of the appropriation, with the understanding that said appropriation remain for use in the capital program.
A. 
Work programs and allotments. At such time as the manager shall specify, each department, office or agency shall submit work programs for the ensuing fiscal year showing the requested allotments of its appropriation by periods within the year. The manager shall review and authorize such allotments with or without revision as early as possible in the fiscal year. He may revise such allotments during the year if he deems it desirable and shall revise them to accord with any supplemental, emergency, reduced or transferred appropriation made pursuant to § C12-1211.
B. 
Payments and obligations prohibited. No payment shall be made or obligation incurred against any allotment or appropriation except in accordance with appropriations duly made and unless the manager or his designee first certifies that there is a sufficient unencumbered balance in such allotment or appropriation and that sufficient funds therefrom are or will be available to cover the claim or meet the obligation when it becomes due and payable. Any authorization of payment or incurring of obligation in violation of the provisions of this charter shall be void and any payment so made illegal; such action shall be cause for removal of any officer who knowingly authorized or made such payment or incurred such obligation, and he shall also be liable to the City for any amount so paid. However, except where prohibited by law, nothing in this charter shall be construed to prevent the making or authorizing of payments or making of contracts for capital improvements to be financed wholly or partly by the issuance of bonds or to prevent the making of any contract or lease providing for payments beyond the end of the fiscal year, provided that such action is made or approved by ordinance.
Before entering upon the duties of their respective offices or positions, the City manager as well as any other officer, agent or employee of the City, as the council may determine, shall execute and file with the City corporate surety bonds, conditioned for the honest and faithful performance of their respective duties, in such sums as shall be fixed by the council. All such bonds and sureties thereon, before being accepted by the City, shall be approved by the City attorney. The agency placing such bonds shall be determined by the council and the premium therefore shall be paid by the City. Such bonds may provide for one or more additional obligees in the event that the officer bonded is acting in a dual or similar capacity with other political subdivisions or governmental or quasi governmental entities.
No payment of any funds of the City shall be made unless provided for in the budget and specifically approved by the council; provided, however, that payroll and utility expenditures may be made at the direction of the manager where based upon a prior ordinance or contract. All checks or drafts of the City shall be signed by the manager and shall be countersigned by the City treasurer.