The fiscal year of the City shall commence on the first day of January and conclude on the last day of December of each year.
[Amended 1-19-2022 by Ord. No. 1-2022]
The City Administrator shall be responsible for the preparation of the annual budget and shall present to the City Council the proposed budget of the next fiscal year by no later than November 10.
The budget shall be a complete financial plan and shall consist of all funds, taxes, anticipated revenues and expenditures. The budget shall be balanced. The budget shall include the tax levies necessary to produce anticipated revenues.
The budget format shall be detailed within the Administrative Code.
The budget shall be available for public inspection for at least 30 days prior to final adoption after the initial presentation. Upon the lapsing of the thirty-day public inspection period, but not later than December 31 of the year in which the proposed budget is submitted, City Council shall adopt the budget by ordinance with or without amendment. City Council may add to, delete from, increase or decrease any appropriation item in the budget. No amendment to the budget shall increase authorized expenditures to an amount greater than the total of estimated income and cash reserve unless action is also taken to increase revenue to such a level. No amendment shall change expenditures required by law or collective bargaining agreements or for debt service or for any estimated unpaid obligations. The adopted budget shall become effective on January 1 of the following year.
If the City Council fails to adopt a budget on or before December 31 of the year in which the budget is submitted, the proposed budget as submitted by the City Administrator shall be deemed approved.
Funds for the proposed expenditures shall stand appropriated to the same extent as if favorable action thereon had been taken by the City Council.
During the month of January next following any municipal election, the City Council may amend the adopted current budget, levy and tax rate. A period of 10 days' public inspection at the office of the City Administrator of the proposed amended budget, after notice by the City Administrator to that effect is published once in a newspaper of general circulation in the City, shall intervene between the presentation of the proposed amended budget and the final adoption of the amended budget. Any amended budget must be adopted by the City Council on or before the first day of March.
During any year, the City Council may by resolution make supplemental appropriations for any purpose from any funds on hand or estimated to be received within the fiscal year and not otherwise appropriated, including the proceeds of any borrowing authorized by law. Supplemental appropriations may be made whether or not an appropriation for that purpose was included in the original budget as adopted.
The City Council may by resolution transfer unencumbered moneys from one City account to another. Any transfer up to 10% of the unencumbered account shall be by resolution and any transfer greater than 10% of the unencumbered account shall be by ordinance; but no moneys may be transferred from a fund allocated for the payment of debts or from any fund raised by a special tax levy or assessment for a particular purpose.
A. 
The City shall not increase all sources of general fund revenues by more than 110% of the preceding year. Revenues shall be construed as all taxes, fees and regular income and shall not include grants, one-time sources, proceeds from the sale of assets, sewer fees, and other restricted revenues. The revenues shall not exceed 110% of the preceding year unless the City Council by majority vote of the whole, which shall be three, shall, upon due cause shown by resolution, petition the Court of Common Pleas, in which case the court may order that revenues may exceed 110% of the preceding year for one year and those additional revenues shall not be used to determine the 110% ceiling for the succeeding year.
B. 
The 110% revenue cap shall be effective for the 2014 budget and shall not be applied for the 2013 budget.
C. 
City Council shall have all taxing authority under this Charter and the Pennsylvania Home Rule Charter and Optional Plans Law, Act 62 of 1972, effective immediately upon adoption of this Charter for the preparation and adoption of the 2013 budget. Any tax rate changes made under this authority shall not be effective prior to January 2, 2013. Council shall further have the ability to amend the 2013 budget until March 1, 2013.
D. 
The City shall enact a homestead exemption by ordinance pursuant to the Homestead Exemption Law of the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania.
Emergency appropriations are permitted when there is an imminent threat to public safety.
No payment shall be made or obligation incurred against any appropriation unless there is a sufficient unencumbered balance in such appropriation. No payment of any funds of the City shall be made except upon approval of the City Council for disbursement by the City Administrator or their designee. The City Administrator shall be responsible for the preparation of checks or drafts of the City for approval by the City Council. In order to be valid, all checks and/or drafts of the municipality shall bear the signature of two of the officials of the City hereinafter designated from time to time by the City Council.
Every appropriation, except an appropriation for a capital expenditure, shall lapse at the close of the fiscal year to the extent 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, but it shall lapse if three years pass without any disbursement from or encumbrance of the appropriation.
The City shall be required to draft a Comprehensive Long-Range Plan setting forth a plan for public services, community and economic development, future land use, capital improvements and fiscal policy based upon the current conditions, forecasted trends and desired goals and objectives of the City. A detailed description of the scope of the plan shall be included in the Administrative Code.
All planning ordinances, such as the Subdivision and Land Development Ordinance, Zoning Ordinance, Floodplain Ordinance and all other related ordinances shall be updated in accordance with the City's Comprehensive Plan.
The City Administrator shall be responsible for the City's accounting system. A complete description of the accounting system shall be detailed in the Administrative Code and at a minimum the City's accounting system shall conform to general accepted accounting principles (GAAP).