The fiscal year of the city government shall begin on the first day of October and shall end on the last day of September of each calendar year. Such fiscal year shall also constitute the budget and accounting year. As used in this charter the term “budget year” shall mean the fiscal year for which any particular budget is adopted and in which it is administered.
The city commission, at least sixty days prior to the beginning of each budget year, shall prepare or cause to be prepared a proposed budget and an explanatory budget message in the form and with the contents provided by sections 11 and 14. For such purpose, at such dates as they shall determine, they, or an officer designated by them shall obtain from the head of each office, department or agency estimates of revenue and expenditure of that office, department or agency detailed by organization units and character and object of expenditure, and such other supporting data as they may request. In preparing the budget, the city commission shall review the estimates, shall hold hearings thereon and may revise the estimates, as they may deem advisable.
The budget and budget message and all supporting schedules shall be a public record in the office of the city secretary open to public inspection by anyone. The city commission shall cause sufficient copies of the budget and budget message to be prepared for the distribution to interested persons.
At the meeting of the commission at which the budget and budget message are submitted, the commission shall determine the place and time of the public hearing on the budget, and shall cause to be published a notice of the place and time, not less than seven days after date of publication, at which the commission will hold a public hearing.
At the time and place so advertised, or at any time and place to which such public hearing shall from time to time be adjourned, the commission shall hold a public hearing on the budget as submitted, at which all interested persons shall be given an opportunity to be heard, for or against the estimates or any item thereof.
The budget shall be finally adopted not later than the twenty-seventh day of the last month of the fiscal year. Should the Commission take no final action on or prior to such day, the last approved budget shall be automatically readopted as the approved budget for the next fiscal year.
(Charter Prop. No. 9, ratified 6/7/2022)
Upon final adoption, the budget shall be in effect for the budget year. A copy of the budget, as finally adopted, shall be filed with the City Secretary and posted on the City’s website. The final budget shall be printed, mimeographed or otherwise reproduced and sufficient copies shall be made available for the use of all offices, departments and agencies, and for the use of interested persons and civic organizations.
(Charter Prop. No. 10, ratified 6/7/2022)
From the effective date of the budget, the several amounts stated therein as proposed expenditures shall be and become appropriated to the several objects and purposes therein named.
The budget message shall be explanatory of the budget, shall contain an outline of the proposed financial policies of the city for the budget year and shall describe in connection therewith the important features of the budget plan. It shall set forth the reasons for salient changes from the previous year in expenditure and revenue items and shall explain any major changes in financial policy.
The budget shall provide a complete financial plan for the fiscal year. It shall contain the following:
(1) 
A budget message.
(2) 
A consolidated statement of receipts and expenditures for all funds.
(3) 
An analysis of property valuations.
(4) 
An analysis of tax rate.
(5) 
General fund resources in detail.
(6) 
Summary of proposed expenditures by character and object.
(7) 
Detailed estimates of expenditures shown separately for each activity to support the summary No. 6 above. Such estimates of expenditures are to include an itemization of positions showing the number of persons having each title and the rate of pay.
(8) 
A revenue and expense statement for all types of bonds.
(9) 
The tax levying ordinance.
The total estimated expenditures of the general fund and debt service fund shall not exceed the total estimated resources of each fund (prospective income plus cash on hand). The classification of revenue and expenditure accounts shall conform as nearly as local conditions will permit to the uniform classification as promulgated by the National Committee on Municipal Accounting or some other nationally accepted classification.
Note–Charter Amendment No. 8, ratified May 6, 1969, amended article IV, sec. 12 by revising the items included in the budget. Said charter amendment was proposed by Ordinance 575, sec. 8, adopted March 3, 1969.
(Charter Amnd. No. 8, ratified May 6, 1969)
In parallel columns opposite the several items of revenue there shall be placed the actual amount of such items for the last completed fiscal year, the estimated amount for the current fiscal year, and the proposed amount for the ensuing budget year.
The proposed expenditures for the administration, operation, maintenance and capital outlay of each office, department or agency of the city shall be itemized by character and object. In parallel columns opposite the various items of expenditures, there shall be placed the actual amount of such items of expenditures for the last complete fiscal year, the estimated amount for the current fiscal year and the proposed amount for the ensuing budget year.
Provision shall be made in the annual budget and in the appropriation ordinance for a contingent appropriation in the amount not more than three per centum of the total general fund expenditure, to be used in the case of unforeseen items of expenditures. Such contingent appropriation shall be under the control of the city commission. Expenditures from this appropriation shall be made only in case of established emergencies and a detailed account of such expenditures shall be recorded and reported. The proceeds of the contingent appropriation shall be disbursed only by transfer to other departmental appropriations, the spending of which shall be charged to the departments or activities for which the appropriations are made.