[Ord. No. 2396 § 1, 6-15-2017]
(a)
The Mayor shall be the budget officer for the City and shall prepare and submit to the Board of Aldermen a proposed budget prior to the start of each fiscal year.
(b)
All officers and employees shall cooperate with and provide to the budget officer in a timely manner such information and such records as he or she may require in developing the budget.
(c)
The budget officer shall review all the expenditure requests and revenue estimates and prepare a proposed budget.
(d)
After the budget officer has prepared the proposed budget, he or she shall submit it, along with such supporting schedules, exhibits, and other explanatory material as may be necessary for the proper understanding of the financial needs and position of the City, to the Board of Aldermen. He or she shall submit at the same time complete drafts of such orders, motions, resolutions, or ordinances as may be required to authorize the proposed expenditures and produce the revenues necessary to balance the proposed budget.
(e)
The Board of Aldermen may revise, alter, increase or decrease the items contained in the proposed budget; provided, that in no event shall the total authorized expenditures from any fund exceed the estimated revenues to be received plus any unencumbered balance or less any deficit estimated for the beginning of the budget year, and, before the beginning of the fiscal year, the Board of Aldermen shall adopt an annual budget which shall present a complete financial plan for the ensuing budget year and approve or adopt such orders, motions, resolutions, or ordinances as may be required to authorize the budgeted expenditures and produce the revenues estimated in the budget. In doing so the Board of Aldermen shall include at least the following information:
(1)
A budget message describing the important features of the budget and major changes from the preceding year;
(2)
Estimated revenues to be received from all sources for the budget year, with a comparative statement of actual or estimated revenues for the two (2) years next preceding, itemized by year, fund, and source;
(3)
Proposed expenditures for each department, office, commission, and other classification for the budget year, together with a comparative statement of actual or estimated expenditures for the two (2) years next preceding, itemized by year, fund, activity, and object;
(4)
The amount required for the payment of interest, amortization, and redemption charges on the debt of the City;
(5)
A general budget summary.
(f)
In no event shall the total proposed expenditures from any fund exceed the estimated revenues to be received plus any unencumbered balance or less any deficit estimated for the beginning of the budget year; provided, that nothing herein shall be construed as requiring the City to use any cash balance as current revenue or to change from a cash basis of financing its expenditures.
(g)
After the Board of Aldermen has approved the budget for any year and has approved or adopted the orders, motions, resolutions, or ordinances required to authorize the expenditures proposed in the budget, there shall be no increase in the total amount authorized for expenditure from any fund unless the Board of Aldermen adopts a resolution setting forth the facts and reasons making the increase necessary and approves or adopts an order, motion, resolution or ordinance to authorize the expenditures.
(h)
During the budget year the Mayor may transfer any unencumbered balance or portion thereof from the expenditure authorization of one (1) department, office, commission, or other classification to another, subject to approval by the Board of Aldermen.
(i)
The budget or the orders, motions, resolutions, or ordinances as may be required to authorize the expenditures proposed in the budget as finally approved, and any orders, motions, resolutions or ordinances to increase the total amount authorized for expenditure adopted shall remain on file for three (3) years and shall be public records and open to inspection. To each copy so filed the Mayor shall attest to the fact that preparation and adoption procedures were conducted in the manner prescribed herein.
(j)
If at the beginning of any fiscal year the Board of Aldermen has not approved or adopted and filed the budget and the expenditure orders, motions, resolutions, or ordinances required herein for the current fiscal year, the several amounts authorized in the expenditure orders, motions, resolutions, or ordinances for the next preceding fiscal year for the objects and purposes specified therein, so far as the same shall relate to operation and maintenance expenses, shall be deemed to be reappropriated for the several objects and purposes specified in said expenditure orders, motions, resolutions, or ordinances, until such time as the budget and the expenditure orders, motions, resolutions, or ordinances for the current fiscal year are approved or adopted and filed as required herein.
(k)
The expenditure orders, motions, resolutions, or ordinances approved or adopted and filed as provided herein, and the transfers made as provided herein, shall constitute the authorization for the expenditure of money for the budget year. No expenditure of public moneys shall be made unless it is authorized as provided herein.