The City Manager shall be the Director of Finance. He shall have control of the custody and disbursement of City funds and monies according to ordinances and regulations of the City Council. If required by the City Council, he shall provide a standard surety company bond in such amount as the City Council may require, but not less than $250,000, said bond to be underwritten by a recognized and approved surety company with a permit to do business within the State of Texas, the premium of which bond shall be paid out of the funds of the City.
(Amended 9/16/2003)
The Director of Finance shall have charge of the administration of the financial affairs of the City and to that end he shall have authority and be required to:
(a) 
Compile the estimates of revenues and expenditures for the budget;
(b) 
Supervise and be responsible for the disbursement of all moneys and have control over all expenditures to insure that budget appropriations are not exceeded;
(c) 
Maintain a general accounting system for the City Government and each of its offices, departments and agencies and such subsidiary accounts and cost records as may be required by ordinance for purposes of administrative direction and financial control, keeping separate accounts for the items of appropriation contained in the City budget, each of which accounts shall show the amount of the appropriation, the amounts paid thereunder, the unpaid obligations against it and the unencumbered balance; require reports of receipts and disbursements from each receiving and spending agency of the City Government to be made at such intervals as he may deem expedient;
(d) 
Submit to the City Council a monthly statement of all receipts and disbursements in sufficient detail to show the exact financial condition of the City;
(e) 
Prepare as of the end of each fiscal year a complete financial statement and report;
(f) 
Collect all taxes, special assessments, license fees and other revenues of the City or for whose collection the City is responsible;
(g) 
Shall have custody of all public funds belonging to or under the control of the City or any of its departments and shall deposit same in such depositories as may be designated by the City Council; shall have custody of all investments, bonds and notes of the City and be responsible for their safekeeping;
(h) 
Supervise and be responsible for the purchase, storage and distribution of all supplies, materials, equipment and other articles used by any office, department or agency of the City Government;
(i) 
Approve all proposed expenditures; unless there is an unencumbered balance of appropriation and available funds, no expenditure shall be made.
(Amended 9/16/2003)
The Director of Finance shall have power and be required to:
(a) 
Prescribe the forms of receipts, vouchers, bills or claims to be used by all the offices, departments and agencies of the City Government;
(b) 
Examine and approve all contracts, orders and other documents by which the City Government incurs financial obligations, having previously ascertained that monies have been appropriated and allotted and will be available when the obligations shall become due and payable;
(c) 
Audit and approve before payment all bills, invoices, payrolls and other evidences of claims, demands or charges against the City Government and determine the regularity, legality and correctness of such claims, demands or charges;
(d) 
Inspect and audit any accounts or records of financial transactions which may be maintained in any office, department or agency of the City Government apart from or subsidiary to the accounts kept in his office;
(e) 
Annually inventory and retain in a “property book” all property assets belonging to the City of Beaumont which are tangible, have a useful life longer than the current fiscal year, and have a significant value.
(Amended 1/25/1972)
Upon the recommendation of the City Manager, the City Council may transfer any unencumbered appropriation balance or portion thereof from one office, department or agency to another in the manner provided by law.
All fees collected by any officer or employee shall be paid to the Department of Finance at such times as required by the Director of Finance.
All appropriations shall lapse at the end of the budget year to the extent that they shall not have been expended or lawfully encumbered.
Editor's note–Former section 7, pertaining to purchase procedure, was repealed 11/7/2023.
Contracts for City improvements shall be executed in accordance with the Texas Local Government Code as it may be amended from time to time. The City Council shall have the power to reject all bids and advertise again. Alterations or change orders may be made or approved by the City Manager, provided such alterations or change orders do not increase the cost to the City more than ten (10) percent of the original amounts. Any single change in excess of $10,000 shall be approved by the City Council. Council shall receive a report on a monthly basis of all change orders approved by the City Manager within the ten (10) percent limit.
(Amended 9/16/2003)
Editor's note–Former section 9, pertaining to borrowing in anticipation of taxes, was repealed 11/7/2023.
Editor's note–Former section 10, pertaining to sale of notes; warrants, was repealed 11/7/2023.