The fiscal year of the city shall begin on the first day of
January and end on the last day of December.
At the first regular meeting in October of each year the Mayor
shall submit to the Council a proposed budget for the ensuing fiscal
year and an accompanying message.
The budget 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 city 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 city's debt position
and include such other material as deemed appropriate.
A.
Specifications. The budget shall provide a complete financial plan
of all city funds and activities for the ensuing fiscal year and,
except as required by law or this Charter, shall be in such form as
the Mayor deems appropriate or the Council may require. The budget
shall utilize the most feasible combination of expenditure classification
by funds, organization unit, program, purpose or activity and object.
It shall begin with a clear general summary of its contents and shall
show in detail all estimated income, including the proposed tax levy,
and all proposed expenditures, including debt service, for the ensuing
fiscal year. It shall be so arranged as to show comparative figures
for actual and estimated income and expenditures of the current fiscal
year and actual income and expenditures of the preceding fiscal year.
It shall indicate in separate sections:
(1)
Proposed expenditures for current operations during the ensuing fiscal
year, detailed by offices, departments and agencies in terms of their
respective work programs, and the method of financing such expenditures.
(2)
Proposed capital expenditures during the ensuing fiscal year, detailed
by offices, departments and agencies when practicable, and the proposed
method of financing each.
(3)
Anticipated net surplus or deficit for the ensuing fiscal year of
each utility owned or operated by the city and the proposed method
of its disposition. Subsidiary budgets for each such utility giving
detailed income and expenditure information shall be attached as appendices
to the budget.
(4)
All equipment budget lines must include a separate itemized list
of proposed equipment purchases for that budget year with proposed
expenditures for each piece of equipment. No equipment may be purchased
during the course of the fiscal year that is not included on said
itemized list, unless the Council approves, upon a roll-call vote,
any addition or deletion from said list.
B.
Balanced budget. The total of proposed expenditures shall not exceed
the total of estimated income.
C.
Notice and hearing. The Council shall publish in the official newspaper
of the city and one (1) or more newspapers of general circulation
in the city the general summary of the budget and a notice stating:
D.
Amendment before adoption. After the public hearing, the Council
may adopt the budget with or without amendment. In amending the budget,
it may add or increase programs or amounts and may delete or decrease
any programs or amounts, except expenditures required by law or for
debt service.
E.
Adoption. The Council shall adopt the budget on or before the 31st
day of the last month of the fiscal year. In the event that the Council
fails to adopt a budget by said date, then, in such event, the proposed
budget of the Mayor shall, by operation of law, become the budget
for the ensuing fiscal year. If the default budget provides for a
tax levy in excess of the allowable levy limit, the City Council shall
pass a resolution to reduce the amount of the tax levy to an amount
that complies with the allowable levy limit. Adoption of the budget
shall constitute appropriations of the amounts specified therein as
expenditures from the funds indicated. The property tax therein proposed
shall constitute a levy.
F.
Quarterly reports. The Mayor shall submit to the Council a written
summary of the quarterly financial report each year in April, July
and October.
A.
Submission to council. The Mayor shall submit to the Council a five-year
capital program by May 31 of each year.
B.
Notice and hearing. The Council shall publish in the official newspaper
of the city and in one (1) or more newspapers of general circulation
in the city the general summary of the capital program and a notice
stating:
C.
Adoption. The Council, by resolution, shall adopt the capital program
with or without amendment after the public hearing and on or before
the 31st day of July of each year.
A.
Supplemental appropriations. If during the fiscal year the Mayor
certifies that there are available for appropriation revenues in excess
of those estimated in the budget, the Council, by ordinance, may make
supplemental appropriations for the year up to the amount of such
excess.
B.
Emergency appropriations. To meet a public emergency affecting life,
health, property or the public peace, the Council may make emergency
appropriations. To the extent that there are no available unappropriated
revenues to meet such appropriations, the Council may by such emergency
ordinance authorize the issuance of emergency notes, which may be
renewed from time to time, but the emergency notes and renewals of
any fiscal year shall be paid not later than the last day of the fiscal
year next succeeding that in which the emergency appropriation was
made.
C.
Reduction of appropriations. If at any time during the fiscal year
it appears probable to the Mayor that the revenues available will
be insufficient to meet the amount appropriated, he/she shall report
to the Council without delay, indicating the estimated amount of the
deficit, any remedial action taken by him/her and his/her recommendations
as to any steps to be taken. The Council shall then take such further
action as it deems necessary to prevent or minimize any deficit, and
for that purpose it may by ordinance reduce one (1) or more appropriations
as allowed by law.
D.
Transfer of appropriations. All budget transfers of moneys, except
transfers within a department as provided below, must be approved
by the City Council upon a roll-call vote, for each requested transfer.
No transfers may be made within a department involving accounts for
payroll, employee benefits and equipment purchases. In addition, budget
transfers of any unencumbered appropriation balance which exceeds
seven thousand five hundred dollars ($7,500.) must also be approved
by the City Council upon a roll-call vote for each requested transfer.
A.
Payment and obligations prohibited. No payment shall be made or obligation
incurred against any allotment or appropriation except in accordance
with appropriations duly made, and unless the Mayor or his/her designee
first certifies that there is a sufficient unencumbered balance in
such allotment or appropriation and that sufficient funds therefrom
are or will be available to cover the claim or meet the obligation
when it becomes due and payable. 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 illegal authorization
or payment shall be cause for removal of any officer who knowingly
authorized or made such payment or incurred such obligation, and he/she
shall also be liable to the city for any amount so paid.
B.
No city officer or employee shall utilize an automatic signature
in processing checks to pay bills and vouchers incurred by the City
of Beacon, except in the case of payroll or accounts-payable checks.
Except as herein otherwise specifically provided, the city expenditures in any one (1) year shall not be increased over and above the amount provided in the budget duly adopted by the City Council pursuant to Section 5.03 herein. No contract involving the expenditure and no expenditure for any improvement to be paid out of the general or special funds of the city or for defraying the expenses and liabilities of the city shall exceed in any one (1) year the amount provided in said budget to be paid out of the said general and special funds so appropriated and set apart, but the said general funds shall be maintained for, used and devoted to be particular purposes specified in said budget, except that the unexpended balance in any budget appropriation may, by motion, be transferred to any other budget appropriation contained in said duly adopted budget.
It shall not be lawful for any department or officer of the
city to incur or contract any expense or liability for or on behalf
of the city unless such an appropriation shall have been made concerning
such expenses. Such contract shall be ab initio null and void as to
the city for any other or further liability; provided, first, that
nothing herein contained shall prevent the city from providing from
sums made available for such purposes pursuant to the Local Finance
Law for the payment of any expense the necessity of which is caused
by any casualty, accident or unforeseen contingency arising after
the passage of the Budget; and provided, second, that the provisions
of this section shall not apply to or limit the authority conferred
pursuant to the Local Finance Law nor for moneys to be collected by
special assessments for local improvements. It shall be lawful for
the City Council upon the happening of any emergency and upon the
declaration of such emergency by resolution of the Council to appropriate
from any unexpended funds not otherwise designated for specific purposes
by law sufficient funds for the payment of any expenses created by
such emergency.
