The city shall operate on an annual budget. The fiscal year
of the city shall begin on the first day of July and shall end on
the last day of June in each year. Such fiscal year shall constitute
the tax year, the budget year and the accounting year.
The Mayor, on such date as the Council shall determine, but
no later than the regularly scheduled June Council meeting, shall
submit a budget for final approval by Council. The budget shall provide
a complete financial plan for the budget year and shall contain estimates
of anticipated revenues and proposed expenditures for the coming year.
The total of the anticipated revenues shall equal or exceed the total
of the proposed expenditures. The budget shall be a public record
in the office of the Clerk, open to public inspection by anyone during
normal business hours.
Before adopting the budget, the Council shall hold a public
hearing thereon after two weeks' notice thereof in some newspaper
or newspapers having general circulation within the municipality.
The Council may insert new items or may increase or decrease the items
of the budget. Where the Council shall increase the total proposed
expenditures it shall also increase the total anticipated revenues
in an amount at least equal to such total proposed expenditures. The
budget shall be prepared and adopted in the form of an ordinance.
A favorable vote of at least a majority of the total elected membership
of the Council shall be necessary for adoption.
No public money may be expended without having been appropriated
by the Council. 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 named therein.
Any transfer of funds between major appropriations for different
purposes by the Mayor must be approved by the Council before becoming
effective.
No officer or employee shall during any budget year expend or
contract to expend any money or incur any liability or enter into
any contract which by its terms involves the expenditure of money
for any purpose in excess of the amounts appropriated for or transferred
to that general classification of expenditure pursuant to this Charter.
Any contract, verbal or written, made in violation of this Charter
shall be null and void. Nothing contained in this section, however,
shall prevent the making of contracts or the spending of money for
capital improvements to be financed in whole or in part by the issuance
of bonds, nor the making of contracts of lease or for services for
a period exceeding the budget year in which such contract is made,
when such contract is permitted by law.
All appropriations shall lapse at the end of the budget year
to the extent that they shall not have been expended or lawfully encumbered.
Any unexpended and unencumbered funds shall be considered a surplus
and shall lapse into the city treasury.
The Council by resolution may designate who may sign and countersign
every check. All checks issued in payment of salaries or other municipal
obligations shall be issued and signed by one of these designated
officials and countersigned by the other.
All real property and all tangible personal property other than
inventories within the corporate limits of the city shall be subject
to taxation for municipal purposes, and the assessment used shall
not exceed the amounts certified by the state. No authority is given
by this section to impose taxes on any property which is exempt from
taxation by any act of the General Assembly.
From the effective date of the budget, the amount stated therein
as the amount to be raised by the property tax shall constitute a
determination of the amount of the tax levy in the corresponding tax
year.
Immediately after the levy is made by the Council in each year,
the Clerk shall give notice of the making of the levy by posting a
notice thereof in some public place or places in the city. The Clerk
shall make out and mail or deliver in person or arrange for such delivery
to each taxpayer or his or her agent at his or her last known address
a bill or account of the taxes due from him or her. This bill or account
shall contain a statement of the amount of real and personal property
with which the taxpayer is assessed, the rate of taxation, the amount
of taxes due and the date on which the taxes will bear interest. Failure
to give or receive any notice required by this section shall not relieve
any taxpayer of the responsibility to pay on the dates established
by this Charter all taxes levied on his or her property.
The taxes provided for in § C-710 of this Charter shall be due and payable on the first day of July in the year for which they are levied and shall be overdue and in arrears on the first day of the following October. They shall bear interest while in arrears at the rate of 2/3 of 1% for each month or fraction thereof until paid. All such taxes overdue and in arrears after the first day of the following November may be collected as provided in § C-713. The city shall also have the right to levy a half-year tax on new construction, which tax shall be due and payable on the first day of January in the year for which such tax is levied and shall be overdue and in arrears on the last day of the following February, and all such taxes overdue and in arrears shall bear the same rate of interest as herein provided for taxes due and payable on the first day of July. The Mayor and Council may, by ordinance or resolution, impose and collect after October 1 penalties for failure to make payment by or after that day or, in the case of half-year assessments, after March 1.
[Amended 7-8-2013 by Charter Res. No. 2013-4]
A list of all property on which the city taxes have not been
paid and which is in arrears as provided by § C-712 of this
Charter shall be turned over by the Treasurer to the official of the
county responsible for the sale of tax-delinquent property as provided
in state law. All property listed thereon shall, if necessary, be
sold for taxes by this county official in the manner prescribed by
state law.
All fees received by an officer or employee of the city government
in his or her official capacity shall belong to the city government
and be accounted for to the city.
The financial books and accounts of the city shall be audited
annually.
The city shall have the power to borrow in anticipation of the
collection of property taxes and to issue tax anticipation notes or
other evidences of indebtedness as evidence of such borrowing. Such
tax anticipation notes or other evidences of indebtedness shall be
a first lien upon the proceeds of such tax; provided, however, that
no tax anticipation notes or other evidences of indebtedness shall
be issued except for cash or be sold at less than the par value thereof.
A.
The city shall have the power to borrow money for any proper public
purpose and to evidence such borrowing by the issue and sale of its
general obligation bonds or its revenue bonds payable as to principal
and interest solely from the revenues of one or more revenue-producing
projects of the city in the manner prescribed in the laws of Maryland.
B.
In addition to the provisions of Sections 31 through 39 of Article
23A of the Annotated Code of Maryland and any other laws of Maryland,
a resolution or ordinance authorizing any borrowing pursuant to Sections
31 through 39 of Article 23A of the Annotated Code of Maryland and
any other laws of Maryland may (1) contain a statement of the public
purpose upon which the proceeds of said bonds are to be expended,
(2) prescribe an alternate manner in which to determine and specify
the forms and provisions of bonds evidencing such borrowing, (3) determine
and specify the manner in which such bonds shall be sold, including
at a public or private (negotiated) sale for a price at, above or
below par value, (4) set forth specific provisions for the appropriation
and disposal of the proceeds of the bonds, the payment of the principal
of and interest on such bonds, and the source or sources of payment
therefor, including, without limitation, any specific revenues of
one or more revenue-producing projects of the city or any specific
revenues which may be derived the facilities or property financed
with the proceeds of the bonds, (5) determine and specify any collateral
or security for said borrowing, including a mortgage, deed of trust
or lien on property or a pledge of specific revenues of one or more
revenue-producing projects of the city or the proceeds of the bonds,
and (6) determine and specify any other matters concerning such borrowing
or the bonds, all as the Council shall determine to be in the best
interests of the city.
The power and obligation of the city to pay any and all bonds,
notes or other evidences of indebtedness issued by it shall be unlimited,
and the city shall levy ad valorem taxes upon all the taxable property
of the city for the payment of such bonds, notes or other evidences
of indebtedness and interest thereon, without limitation of amount.
The faith and credit of the city is hereby pledged for the payment
of the principal of and the interest on all bonds, notes or other
evidences of indebtedness hereafter issued under the authority of
this Charter, whether or not such pledge is stated in the bonds, notes
or other evidences of indebtedness or in the ordinances authorizing
their issuance.
All bonds, notes or other evidences of indebtedness validly
issued by the city previous to the effective date of this Charter
and all ordinances passed concerning them are hereby declared to be
valid, legal and binding and of full force and effect as if herein
fully set forth.
All purchases and contracts for the city government shall be
made by the City Manager. The Council may provide by resolution for
rules and regulations regarding the use of competitive bidding and
contracts for all city purchases and contracts. All expenditures for
supplies, materials, equipment, construction of public improvements
or contractual services involving more than $10,000 shall be made
on written contracts. The City Manager shall be required to advertise
for sealed bids in such manner as may be prescribed by resolution
for all such written contracts. Such written contracts shall be awarded
to the bidder who offers the lowest or best bid, quality of goods
and work, time of delivery or completion and responsibility of bidders
being considered. All such written contracts shall be approved by
the Council before becoming effective. The City Manager, upon approval
by the Council, shall have the right to reject any and all bids and
readvertise. The city may at any time in its discretion employ its
own forces for the construction or reconstruction of public improvements
without advertising for (or readvertising for) or receiving bids.
All written contracts may be protected by such bonds, penalties and
conditions as the city may require.
