The fiscal year of the Town shall begin on the first day of October and end on the last day of September of the next succeeding year. Such fiscal year shall also constitute the budget and accounting year.
(Resolution 2015-031 adopted 5/16/15; Resolution 2021-237 adopted 5/11/21)
On or before the fifteenth (15th) day of August of the fiscal year, the Town Manager shall submit to the Town Council a budget for the ensuing fiscal year and an accompanying budget message.
(Resolution 2015-031 adopted 5/16/15; Resolution 2021-237 adopted 5/11/21)
The Town 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 Town 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 Town’s debt position and include such other material as the Town Manager deems desirable.
(Resolution 2015-031 adopted 5/16/15; Resolution 2021-237 adopted 5/11/21)
The budget and all supporting schedules shall be filed with the person performing the duties of Town Secretary when submitted to the Town Council and shall be open to public inspection by anyone interested.
(Resolution 2015-031 adopted 5/16/15; Resolution 2021-237 adopted 5/11/21)
At the Town Council meeting when the budget is submitted, the Town Council shall name the date, time and place of a public hearing and shall have published in the official newspaper of the Town, at least once, the date, time and place, which will be not less than ten (10) days nor more than thirty (30) days after the date of notice, and in accordance with state law. At this hearing, interested citizens may express their opinions concerning the budget, including giving their reasons for wishing to increase or decrease any items of expense.
(Resolution 2015-031 adopted 5/16/15; Resolution 2021-237 adopted 5/11/21)
After public hearing, the Town Council shall analyze the budget, making any additions or deletions which they feel appropriate, and shall adopt the budget by the affirmative vote of a majority of the full membership of the Town Council. Should the Town Council take no final action on or prior to such day, the current budget shall be in force on a month-to-month basis until a new budget is adopted.
(Resolution 2015-031 adopted 5/16/15; Resolution 2021-237 adopted 5/11/21)
On final adoption, the budget shall be in effect for the budget year. Final adoption of the budget by the Town Council shall constitute the official appropriations as proposed by expenditures for the budget year and shall constitute the basis of official levy of the property tax as the amount of tax to be assessed and collected for the corresponding tax year. Estimated expenditures will in no case exceed proposed revenue plus the undesignated fund balance from the previous fiscal year. Unused appropriations may be transferred to any item required for the same general purpose.
(Resolution 2015-031 adopted 5/16/15; Resolution 2021-237 adopted 5/11/21)
Under conditions which may arise, and for municipal purposes, the Town Council may, by the affirmative vote of a majority of the full membership of the Town Council, amend or change the budget to provide for any additional expense in which the general welfare of the citizenry is involved. These amendments shall be by ordinance, and shall become an attachment to the original budget.
(Resolution 2015-031 adopted 5/16/15; Resolution 2021-237 adopted 5/11/21)
A copy of the budget, as finally adopted, shall be filed with the person performing the duties of Town Secretary and such other places required by state law or as the Town Council shall designate. The final budget shall be printed or otherwise reproduced and sufficient copies shall be made available for the use of all offices, agencies, and for the use of interested persons and civic organizations.
(Resolution 2015-031 adopted 5/16/15; Resolution 2021-237 adopted 5/11/21)
The Town Manager shall submit a five-year (5-year) capital program as an attachment to the annual budget. The program as submitted shall include:
(A) 
A clear general summary of its contents;
(B) 
A list of all capital improvements which are proposed to be undertaken during the five (5) fiscal years succeeding the budget year, with appropriate supporting information as to the necessity for such improvements;
(C) 
Cost estimates, method of financing, and recommended time schedules for each improvement; and
(D) 
The estimated annual cost of operating and maintaining the facilities to be constructed or acquired.
The above information may be revised and extended each year with regard to capital improvements still pending or in process of construction or acquisition.
(Resolution 2015-031 adopted 5/16/15; Resolution 2021-237 adopted 5/11/21)
Errors or defects in the form or preparation of the budget or the failure to perform any procedural requirements shall not nullify the tax levy or the tax rate.
(Resolution 2015-031 adopted 5/16/15; Resolution 2021-237 adopted 5/11/21)
Every appropriation, except an appropriation for a capital expenditure, dedicated grant awards, or program specific enterprise funds, 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, dedicated grant awards, or program specific enterprise funds shall continue in force until the purpose for which it was made had been accomplished or abandoned. The purpose of any such appropriation shall be deemed abandoned if three (3) years pass without any disbursement from or encumbrance of the appropriation. Any funds not expended, disbursed or encumbered shall be deemed excess funds.
(Resolution 2015-031 adopted 5/16/15; Resolution 2021-237 adopted 5/11/21)
The Town shall have the power to borrow money on the credit of the Town and to issue or incur bonds and other evidences of indebtedness to finance public improvements or for any other public purpose not prohibited by the Constitution and the laws of the State of Texas and to issue refunding bonds to refund outstanding bonds and other evidences of indebtedness of the Town previously issued.
All such bonds and other evidences of indebtedness shall be issued in conformity with the laws of the State of Texas and may be secured by or paid, in whole or in part, from ad valorem tax revenues, revenues derived from other taxing powers of the Town, [or] revenues derived by the Town from any fee or service charge, including revenues derived from the operations of any public utilities, utility systems, recreational facilities or any other municipal function to the extent not prohibited by the Constitution and laws of the State of Texas. Such bonds or evidences of indebtedness may be a charge upon and payable from the properties, or interest therein pledged, or the income therefrom, or both to the extent not prohibited by the Constitution or laws of the State of Texas. The proceeds of bonds or other evidences of indebtedness issued or incurred by the Town shall be used only for the purpose for which the bonds or other indebtedness was issued or incurred.
(Resolution 2015-031 adopted 5/16/15; Resolution 2021-237 adopted 5/11/21)
(A) 
The Town Council may by ordinance, give the Town Manager general authority to contract for expenditure without further approval of the Town Council for all budgeted items not exceeding limits set by the Town Council within the ordinance.
(B) 
All contracts for expenditures or purchases involving more than the limits given by the Town Council to the Town Manager must be expressly approved by the Town Council.
(C) 
Emergency contracts as authorized by law and this Charter may be negotiated by the Town Council or Town Manager if given authority by the Town Council, without competitive bidding, and in accordance with state law. Such emergency may be declared by the Town Manager and approved by the Town Council or declared by the Town Council.
(D) 
Spending, purchasing, and sale of real or personal property guidelines shall be set by policy approved by the Town Council and shall be consistent with state law.
(Resolution 2015-031 adopted 5/16/15; Resolution 2021-237 adopted 5/11/21)
(A) 
No payment shall be made or obligation incurred against any allotment or appropriation, unless the Town Manager, or the Town Manager’s designee, first certifies that there is a sufficient unencumbered balance. The Town Manager may transfer any part of the unencumbered appropriation balance of expenditures within an office, department, agency, or organizational unit. At any time during the fiscal year, at the request of the Town Manager, the Council may by resolution transfer any part of the unencumbered appropriation balance or the entire balance thereof from one office, department, agency, or organizational unit to another.
(B) 
Any authorization of payment or incurring of obligation in violation of the provisions of this Charter shall be void and any payment so made illegal. Such action which was taken with knowing violation of this Article, may be cause for removal of any officer, subject to the affirmative vote of a majority of the full membership of the Council, and the officer shall also be liable to the Town for any amount so paid.
(C) 
This prohibition shall not 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 pledge of taxes, the issuance of bonds, time warrants, certificates of indebtedness, or certificates of obligation, or to prevent the making of any contract or lease providing for payments beyond the end of the fiscal year, providing that such action is made or approved by ordinance.
(D) 
The Town Manager shall submit to the Town Council each month a report covering the revenues and expenditures of the Town in such form as requested by the Town Council.
(Resolution 2015-031 adopted 5/16/15; Resolution 2021-237 adopted 5/11/21)
All monies received by any person, department or agency of the Town for or in connection with the affairs of the Town shall be deposited promptly in the Town depository or depositories. The Town depositories shall be designated by the Town Council in accordance with such regulations and subject to the requirements as to security for deposits and interest thereon as may be established by ordinance and State law. Procedures for withdrawal of money or the disbursement of funds from the Town depositories shall be prescribed by ordinance.
(Resolution 2015-031 adopted 5/16/15; Resolution 2021-237 adopted 5/11/21)
At the close of each fiscal year, and at such other times as may be deemed necessary, the Town Council shall call for an independent audit to be made of all accounts of the Town by a certified public accountant. No more than five (5) consecutive annual audits shall be completed by the same accountant or accounting firm. The certified public accountant selected shall have no personal interest, directly or indirectly, in the financial affairs of the Town or any of its officers. The report of audit, with the auditor’s recommendations will be made to the Town Council. Upon completion of the audit, the summary shall be published on the Town’s official website and copies of the audit placed on file in the office of the person performing the duties of Town Secretary, as a public record.
(Resolution 2015-031 adopted 5/16/15; Resolution 2021-237 adopted 5/11/21)
(A) 
The Town shall have the power to levy, assess and collect taxes of every character and type for any municipal purpose not prohibited by the Constitution and laws of the State of Texas.
(B) 
The Town shall have the power to grant tax exemptions in accordance with the laws of the State of Texas.
(Resolution 2015-031 adopted 5/16/15; Resolution 2021-237 adopted 5/11/21)
There may be an office of taxation to collect taxes, the head of which shall be the Town Tax Collector. The Town Council may contract for such services.
(Resolution 2015-031 adopted 5/16/15; Resolution 2021-237 adopted 5/11/21)
(A) 
All taxes due in the Town shall be payable at the office of the Town Tax Collector, or at such location or locations as may be designated by the Town Council, and may be paid at any time after the tax rolls for the year have been completed and approved. Taxes for each year shall be paid before February 1 of the next succeeding year, and all such taxes not paid prior to that date shall be deemed delinquent, and shall be subject to penalty and interest as the Town Council shall provide by ordinance. The Town Council may provide discounts for the payment of taxes prior to January 1 in amount not to exceed those authorized by the laws of the State of Texas.
(B) 
Failure to levy and assess taxes through omission in preparing the appraisal rolls shall not relieve the person, firm, partnership, company, corporation, or legal entity so omitted from obligation to pay such current or past due taxes as shown to be payable by recheck of the rolls and receipts for the years in question, omitting penalty and interest.
(Resolution 2015-031 adopted 5/16/15; Resolution 2021-237 adopted 5/11/21)
(A) 
All taxable property located in the Town on January 1 of each year shall stand charged from that date with a special lien in favor of the Town for the taxes due. All persons purchasing any such property on or after January 1 in any year shall take the property subject to the liens provided above. In addition to the liens herein provided, on January 1 of any year, the owner of property subject to taxation by the Town shall be personally liable for the taxes due for that year.
(B) 
The Town shall have the power to sue for and recover personal judgment for taxes without foreclosure, or to foreclose its lien or liens, or to recover both personal judgment and foreclosure. In any such suit where it appears that the description of any property in the Town appraisal rolls is insufficient to identify such property, the Town shall have the right to plead a sufficient description of the property to be assessed, to prove the same, and to have its judgment foreclosing the tax lien or for personal judgment against the owners for such taxes.
(Resolution 2015-031 adopted 5/16/15; Resolution 2021-237 adopted 5/11/21)