The fiscal year of the City government shall begin on the first day of July of each year and end on the thirtieth day of June of the following year.
Unless otherwise provided by ordinance, the City shall continue to use, for the purpose of ad valorem municipal taxation, the county system of assessment and tax collection, as such system is now in effect or may hereafter be amended and insofar as such provisions are not in conflict with this Charter.
If the City Council fails to fix the rate and levy taxes on or before August 31, in any year, the rate for the next preceding fiscal year shall thereupon be automatically adopted and a tax at such rate shall be deemed to have been levied on all taxable property in the City for the current fiscal year.
At such date as the City Manager shall determine, the City Manager, or an officer designated by the City Manager, shall obtain from each department head estimates of revenue and expenditures for the appropriate department, detailed in such manner as may be prescribed by the City Manager. In preparing the proposed budget, the City Manager shall review the estimates, shall hold conferences thereon with the department heads, respectively, and may revise the estimates as he or she may deem advisable.
(Amended at General Municipal Election, November 3, 1992, certified by Res. No. 8503CCS)
At least thirty-five days prior to the beginning of each fiscal year, the City Manager shall submit to the City Council the proposed budget as prepared by him or her. After reviewing same and making such revisions as it may deem advisable, the City Council shall determine the time for the holding of a public hearing thereon and shall cause to be published a notice thereof not less than ten days prior to said hearing, by at least one insertion in the official newspaper.
Copies of the proposed budget shall be available for inspection by the public in the office of the City Clerk at least ten days prior to said hearing.
(Amended at General Municipal Election, November 3, 1992, certified by Res. No. 8503CCS)
At the time so advertised, or at any time to which such public hearing shall from time to time be adjourned, the City Council shall hold a public hearing on the proposed budget, at which interested persons desiring to be heard shall be given an opportunity to do so.
After the conclusion of the public hearing, the City Council shall further consider the proposed budget and make any revisions thereof that it may deem advisable, and on or before June 30 it shall adopt the budget with revisions, if any, by the affirmative votes of at least four members. Upon final adoption, the budget shall be in effect for the ensuing fiscal year. A copy thereof, certified to by the City Clerk, shall be filed with the City Controller and a further copy shall be placed, and shall remain on file, in the office of the City Clerk where it shall be available for inspection. The budget so certified shall be reproduced and copies made available for the use of all officers, departments and agencies of the City and civic organizations.
From the effective date of the budget, the several amounts stated therein as proposed expenditures shall be and become appropriated to the several offices, departments or agencies for the respective objects and purposes therein specified. All appropriations shall lapse at the end of the fiscal year to the extent that they shall not have been expanded or lawfully encumbered.
At any meeting after the adoption of the budget, the City Council may amend or supplement the budget by motion adopted by the affirmative votes of at least five members so as to authorize the transfer of unused balances appropriated for one purpose to another purpose, or to appropriate available revenues not included in the budget.
Under the control and direction of the City Manager there shall be established a centralized purchasing system for all city departments and agencies. The City Manager shall recommend and the City Council shall consider and adopt by ordinance, rules and regulations governing the contracting for, purchasing, storing and distribution of all supplies, materials and equipment required by any office, department or agency of the City government.
The Purchasing Agent shall have power and shall be required to:
(a) 
Establish and enforce specifications with respect to supplies, materials, and equipment required by the City government;
(b) 
Supervise the inspection of all deliveries and determine conformance with specifications;
(c) 
Have charge of such general storerooms and warehouses as are established by the City Council; and
(d) 
Sell or transfer to or between offices, departments or agencies, surplus, obsolete, or unused supplies, materials or equipment.
Before making any purchase of, or contract for, supplies, materials or equipment, the purchasing agent shall give ample opportunity for competitive bidding, under such rules and regulations and with such exceptions as the City Council may prescribe by ordinance.
The City Council shall maintain a Cash Liquidity Reserve Account in the General Fund for the purpose of assuring the payment of the operating expenses of the City on a cash basis. A sufficient reserve shall be built up in this fund from any available sources. Transfers may be made by the City Council from this account to any other fund of such sums as may be required for the purpose of placing such funds, as nearly as possible, on a cash basis.
All monies so transferred from the Cash Liquidity Reserve Account shall be returned thereto before the end of the fiscal year.
(Amended at General Municipal Election, November 3, 1992, certified by Res. No. 8503CCS)
The City Council shall annually set aside from the income derived from its revenue producing public utilities, as a separate depreciation fund for each of said public utilities, a sum which, according to the estimate of the City Manager, and approved by the City Council, shall be sufficient to meet the normal depreciation in said public utility. Such depreciation funds shall be used only for the replacement, betterment and extension of the plants and equipment of said public utilities, respectively.
The City Council by ordinance may create capital expenditure funds. The City Council may transfer to any such fund any unencumbered surplus funds remaining on hand in the City at any time, or any other funds which the City Council may lawfully raise.
(Amended at General Municipal Election, November 3, 1992, certified by Res. No. 8503CCS)
The City Council may prescribe by ordinance for the setting up of a Treasurer’s Departmental Trust Fund into which the collections of the police department, license collector, building officer, etc., may be deposited by the respective officers at frequent intervals during each month, with advice of each deposit being furnished to the City Treasurer. Withdrawals made from such fund may be made by the City Treasurer only on order signed by the proper department head and for the following purposes only:
(a) 
The making of refund of bail which has been exonerated or of other refundable deposits, revolving fund advances authorized by the City Council, or for the correction of clerical or ministerial errors in the receipt of payments to the City; and
(b) 
The making of settlements with City funds at the end of each calendar month for collections accumulated during the month.
The City Council may provide for revolving petty cash funds to be paid to the City Manager or department heads and used for payment in cash of expenditures provided for in the budgets, that cannot conveniently be paid otherwise. The City Manager, or such department heads, shall account to the City Council for all disbursements made therefrom when making demand for replenishment of the same and at such other times as the Council may require and the amounts shall thereupon be charged against the proper appropriations.
(Amended at General Municipal Election, November 3, 1992, certified by Res. No. 8503CCS)
All demands, after presentation and approval, shall be transmitted to the City Controller who shall examine the same, and if the amount thereof is legally due and there remains on the City Controller’s books an unexhausted balance or an appropriation against which the same may be charged, the City Controller shall approve such demand and draw his or her warrant on the City Treasurer therefor, payable out of the proper fund. Objections of the Controller may be overruled by the City Council and the warrant ordered drawn.
Such warrants when presented to the Treasurer, shall be paid by the Treasurer out of the fund designated, if there be sufficient money in the fund for that purpose. A warrant not paid for lack of funds shall be registered, and all registered warrants shall be paid in the order of their registration when funds therefor are available.
The Controller shall draw his or her warrants for payment of municipal or other bonds, payable out of funds in the Treasury, upon presentation and surrender of the proper bonds or coupons, without further approval of any body or officer.
(Amended at General Municipal Election, November 3, 1992, certified by Res. No. 8503CCS)
No suit shall be brought on any demand for money or damages against the City unless a claim has been filed with the City Clerk in accordance with the procedures established by state law. The City Council may establish additional claims procedures by ordinance. In addition to other procedures as may be established by law, any person aggrieved by a City decision that rejects or denies, in whole or in part, any demand or claim for money or damages may request the City Council to approve the demand or claim.
(Amended at General Municipal Election, November 3, 1992, certified by Res. No. 8503CCS)
The City Council shall employ, at the beginning of each fiscal year, a qualified accountant who, from time to time, shall examine the books, records, inventories and reports of all officers and employes who receive, handle or disburse public funds and of such other officers, employes or departments as the City Council may direct. At the end of the year, a final audit and report shall be submitted by such accountant to the City Council, one copy thereof to be distributed to each member, one to the City Manager, City Controller and City Attorney, respectively, and three additional copies to be placed on file in the office of the City Clerk where they may be available for inspection by the general public.