The fiscal year of the City shall begin on the first (1st) day
of July and end on the last day of June, or as otherwise set by ordinance.
(a)
Submission; contents. At least sixty (60) days prior
to the beginning of each fiscal year, the City Manager shall submit
to the Council a budget and accompanying message. 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 manager deems desirable or the
Council may require. The budget shall indicate in separate Sections:
(1)
Proposed expenditures for current operations during the ensuing fiscal
year and the method of financing such expenditures; and
(2)
Proposed capital expenditures during the ensuing fiscal year and
the proposed method of financing each such capital expenditure.
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In no event shall the total proposed expenditures for any fund
defined by City ordinances exceed the estimated revenues to be received,
plus any unencumbered or undesignated balance from the previous fiscal
year, or less any deficit estimated for the beginning of the fiscal
year.
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(b)
Capital program. At least sixty (60) days prior
to the beginning of each fiscal year, the City Manager shall submit
to the Council a capital program for the three (3) fiscal years ensuing,
including a list of all proposed capital improvements, with appropriate
supporting information, cost estimates, method of financing, time
schedules and the estimated annual cost of operating and maintaining
the proposed facilities. The program shall be reviewed and extended
each year.
(c)
Public hearing. The Council shall hold a public
hearing on the proposed budget, after appropriate public notice, prior
to adoption of the budget.
(d)
Amendment before adoption. After the public hearing,
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 revenues and unencumbered
or undesignated balance from any previous fiscal year.
(e)
Adoption. The budget shall be adopted by the affirmative
vote of a majority of the members of the Council on or before the
last day of the fiscal year currently ending. If the Council fails
to adopt the budget by this date, amounts appropriated for the current
operations for the current fiscal year shall be deemed adopted for
the ensuring fiscal year on a pro-rated month-to-month basis until
the Council shall adopt a budget.
(f)
Budgeted items appropriated. Adoption of the budget
shall constitute an appropriation of the amounts specified therein
as expenditures.
(g)
Supplemental appropriations; insufficient revenues. The Council may by ordinance make supplemental appropriations if
the City Manager certifies that funds will be available for such expenditures.
If at any time during the fiscal year it appears probable to the City
Manager that the revenues available will be insufficient to meet the
amount appropriated, it shall be reported to the Council without delay.
(h)
Amendments after adoption. The City Manager may
transfer all or any part of any unencumbered appropriation balance
among accounts within a department. The Council may by ordinance transfer
part or all of an unencumbered appropriation balance from one department
to another. Monies held in the equipment reserve fund, the contingency
fund, or in the undesignated general fund balance shall be transferred
or encumbered only by ordinance of the Council.
(i)
Appropriations lapse. All appropriations shall lapse
at the end of the fiscal year to the extent that they shall not have
been spent or lawfully encumbered.
(j)
Prohibited payments and obligations. No payment
shall be made or obligation incurred against any allotment or appropriation
except in accordance with appropriations duly made and unless the
City Manager or his or her 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 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 or she 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.
(k)
Public records. 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.
Taxes as authorized by law shall be levied by ordinance.
The City shall be authorized to sell any bonds as may now or
hereafter be authorized by law. Bonds sold by the City may be sold
at private or public sale as authorized by law. In the event such
bonds are to be sold at public sale, the same shall be sold upon sealed
proposals after reasonable public notice has been given provided by
ordinance or otherwise by law. Any public sale shall be conducted
according to the terms and conditions as may be provided by ordinance.
