§ 2-431. City budget.

(a)

Departmental estimates. On or before September 15th of each year, each officer, department, board and committee shall file with the City Clerk-Treasurer an itemized statement of disbursements made to carry out the powers and duties of such officer, department, board or committee during the preceding fiscal year, and a detailed statement of the receipts and disbursements on account of any special fund under the supervision of such officer, department, board or committee during such year, and of the conditions and management of such fund; also detailed estimates of the same matters for the current fiscal year and for the ensuing fiscal year. Such statements shall be presented in the form prescribed by the City and shall be designated as "Departmental Estimates," and shall be as nearly uniform as possible for the main division of all departments.

(b)

Consideration of estimates. The Mayor and the Finance Committee shall consider such departmental estimates in consultation with the department heads, and recommend to the Common Council a budget amount for such department or activity.

(c)

Proposed budget. On or before October 20 of each year, the Mayor and Finance Committee shall prepare and submit to the Common Council a proposed budget presenting a financial plan for conducting the affairs of the City for the ensuing calendar year. The budget shall include the following information:

(1)

The expense of conducting each department and activity of the City for the ensuing fiscal year and last preceding fiscal year, with reasons provided for increase and decrease recommended as compared with appropriations for the current year.

(2)

An itemization of all anticipated income from the City from sources other than general property taxes and bonds issued, with a comparative statement of the amounts received by the City from each of the same or similar sources for the last preceding and current fiscal year.

(3)

An estimate of the amount of money to be raised from general property taxes that, with income from other sources, will be necessary to meet the proposed expenditures.

(4)

Such other information as may be required by the Common Council and by State law.

(d)

Copies of budget. The City Clerk-Treasurer shall provide a reasonable number of copies of the budget summary thus prepared for distribution to citizens. The entire fiscal budget shall be available for public inspection in the Office of the City Clerk-Treasurer during regular office hours.

(e)

Hearing.

(1)

The Mayor and Finance Committee shall submit to the Common Council at the time the annual budget is submitted the draft of an appropriation ordinance providing for the expenditures proposed for the ensuing fiscal year. Upon the submission of the proposed appropriation ordinance to the Common Council, it shall be deemed to have been regularly introduced therein.

(2)

A summary of such budget and notice of the time and place where such budget and detail is available for public inspection and notice of the time and place for holding the public hearing thereof shall be published in the official newspaper of the City at least 15 days prior to the time of such public hearing.

(3)

Not less than 15 days after the publication of the proposed budget and the notice of hearing thereof, the public hearing shall be held at the time and place stipulated, at which time any resident or taxpayer of the City shall have an opportunity to be heard on the proposed budget. The budget hearing may be adjourned from time to time.

(4)

A majority vote of the Common Council is required to adopt the proposed budget and a vote of three-quarters of the Common Council is necessary to adopt the appropriations budget.

(Code 1991, § 3-1-3)