There shall be created a Department of Finance which shall administer the financial affairs of the Municipality. The Director of the Department of Finance shall be the chief fiscal officer of the Municipality.
The Director of the Department of Finance shall have the following powers and duties:
a. 
Except as otherwise provided by the Council or this Charter, receive, collect, account for, and deposit into the Municipal Treasury, all taxes, fees, funds, assessments or charges that are levied, established or received by the Municipality for general or special purposes. Such deposits shall be made not later than the first business day following the day in which the funds are received.
b. 
Disburse Municipal funds pursuant to authorizations for payment made by the Council and shall sign, along with the Controller, all checks, drafts or other instruments which disburse Municipal funds. The Manager shall sign all such checks, drafts or other instruments in the absence of the Finance Officer. The Director of Finance or the Manager may use a facsimile signature or other method approved by Council.
c. 
Assist the Manager in the preparation of the budget, and in the administration of the financial affairs of the Municipality.
d. 
Arrange for temporary investments of Municipal funds in the manner provided by the law of the General Assembly.
e. 
Deposit the funds of the Municipality in various depositories as designated by the Council. All such accounts shall be in the name of the Municipality.
f. 
Such other duties as the Council or the Manager shall assign from time to time.
The fiscal year of the Municipality shall begin on the first day of January and end on the last day of December of each year, unless changed by Council or by law.
On or before the sixtieth (60th) day prior to the beginning of the fiscal year, the Manager shall submit to the Council, a budget for the ensuing year and an accompanying message.
The Manager's 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 Municipality 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 Municipality's debt position and include such other material as the Manager deems desirable.
The budget shall provide a complete financial plan of all Municipal funds and activities for the ensuing fiscal year. It shall be in such form as the Manager deems desirable or the Council shall require, and may utilize the most feasible combination of expenditure classification by fund, organization unit, program, purpose or activity, and object. The budget shall contain, inter alia, 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, and the salaries for each such classification.
e. 
It shall be so arranged as to show comparative figures for actual and estimated income and expenditures for the three (3) preceding fiscal years, and the projected income and expenditures for the current and ensuing fiscal year.
f. 
It shall indicate proposed operating expenditures for 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 and the proposed method of financing each such capital expenditure.
The total of proposed expenditures shall not exceed the total of estimated income, including the surplus or deficit from the preceding year's budget.
It is the intent of this Charter that the Council adopt long range plans and objectives to provide for the orderly growth of the Municipality. Plans and objectives shall be prepared for public review in the form of the Annual Capital Program Report. Projects, which will result in major additions or changes to the Municipality, such as Recreation and Sanitation facilities or Roadways, shall be included in the program. Such other capital expenditures for equipment with a useful life of less than two (2) years shall be part of the operating budget.
a. 
Submission to Council. The Manager shall prepare and submit to the Council a five-year capital program at least three (3) months prior to the final date for submission of the budget.
b. 
Contents. The capital program shall include:
(1) 
A clear general summary of its contents;
(2) 
A list of all capital improvements which are proposed to be undertaken during the five (5) fiscal years next ensuing, with appropriate supporting information as to the necessity for such improvements;
(3) 
Cost estimates, method of financing and recommended time schedules for each such improvement;
(4) 
The estimated annual cost of operating and maintaining the facilities to be constructed or acquired; and
(5) 
The estimated annual amortization costs.
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. 
Publication. The Council shall publish the proposed budget immediately upon its receipt from the Manager.
b. 
Public Hearings. The Council shall hold a minimum of two (2) public hearings on the budget at which time residents of the Municipality may express their views on the proposed budget. The first such hearing shall be not less than twenty-one (21) days nor more than thirty (30) days after the date of publication. The second public hearing shall be not less than seven (7) days nor more than fourteen (14) days after the first hearing.
c. 
Method of Publication and Notice of Hearings. The Council shall publish in one or more newspapers of general circulation in the Municipality a general summary of the budget and a notice stating:
(1) 
The times and places where copies of the budget and the message are available to the public; and
(2) 
The times and places of the required public hearings on the budget and such other public hearings as the Council may decide to hold.
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 expenditure to an amount greater than the total of estimated income.
e. 
Adoption. The Council shall adopt the budget by ordinance on or before the twenty-eighth (28th) day of the twelfth (12th) month of the fiscal year currently ending. If it fails to adopt the budget by this date, the amounts 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. 
Publication. The Council shall publish the proposed Capital Program immediately upon its receipt from the Manager.
b. 
Public Hearings. The Council shall hold a minimum of one (1) public hearing on the proposed Capital Program at which time residents of the Municipality may express their views on the proposed Capital Program. Such required public hearing shall be not less than twenty-one (21) days nor more than thirty (30) days after the date of publication.
c. 
Method of Publication and Notice of Hearings. The Council shall publish in one or more newspapers of general circulation in the Municipality a general summary of the Capital Program and a notice stating:
(1) 
The times and places where copies of the summary of the Capital Program are available to the public; and
(2) 
The times and places where a complete copy of the Capital Program along with accompanying maps, charts, reports and other data are available for inspection by the public; and
(3) 
The time and place of the required public hearing on the Capital Program and such other public hearings as the Council may decide to hold.
d. 
Adoption. The Council, by resolution, shall adopt the Capital Program with or without amendment, after the public hearing and on or before the last day of the ninth (9th) month of the current fiscal year.
Copies of the budget and the Capital Program as adopted shall be public record and shall be made available to the public at suitable places and during normal business hours of the Municipality.
a. 
Supplemental Appropriations. If, during the fiscal year, the Manager certifies that there are available for appropriations, 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, but such ordinances may not levy taxes, grant, renew or extend a franchise, or authorize the borrowing of money except 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.
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, the Manager shall report to the 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 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, with the consent of Council, may transfer part or all on any unencumbered appropriation balance among programs within a department, except that appropriations for Capital Program expenditures shall be excluded from this provision, and after the first six (6) months of the fiscal year, the Manager, with the consent of the Council, may transfer part or all of any unencumbered appropriation balance from one department to another. Such actions shall be by ordinance.
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 of the ordinance.
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. A project shall be deemed abandoned if three (3) years pass without any disbursement from, or encumbrance of, the appropriation.
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. The Manager may revise such allotments during the year if deemed desirable and shall revise them to accord with any supplemental, emergency, reduced or transferred appropriations made pursuant to Section 11.
No payment of any funds of the Municipality 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 Municipality shall be co-signed by the Director of the Department of Finance and the Controller.
Before entering upon the duties of their respective offices or positions, the Municipal Manager and the Director of the Department of Finance and the Controller, as well as any other officer, agent or employee of the Municipality as the Council may determine, shall execute and file with the Municipality corporate surety bonds in such sum as shall be fixed by the Council. Each bond shall be joint and several, with one or more corporate sureties which shall be surety companies authorized to do business in the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania and duly licensed by the Insurance Commissioner of said Commonwealth.
Each bond shall be conditioned upon the faithful discharge by the officer, the clerks, assistants and appointees of all trusts confided in them by virtue of their office, upon the faithful execution of all duties required of them by virtue of their office upon the just and faithful accounting or payment over, according to law, of all moneys and all balances thereof paid to, received or held by virtue of the office and upon the delivery to the successor or successors in office of all books, papers, documents or other official things held in right of the office. All such bonds and sureties thereon, before being accepted by the Municipality, shall be approved by the Municipal Attorney. The placing of such bonds shall be determined by the Council and the premium therefor shall be paid by the Municipality. 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.