Title 11

On a day to be fixed by the council but in no case later than the twentieth day of August in each year, the mayor shall submit to the council: (1) A separate current revenue and expense budget for the general operation of the city government, to be known as the “general fund budg…

It shall be the duty of the head of each department, and each other office or agency supported in whole or in part by the city, to file with the director of finance, at such time as the mayor may prescribe, estimates of revenue and expenditures for that department, office or agen…

The general fund budget shall include for each public utility within the city only the net amounts estimated to be received from or to be appropriated to each public utility. The general fund budget shall be prepared in accordance with accepted principles of municipal accounting …

In no event shall the expenditures recommended by the mayor in the general fund budget exceed the receipts estimated, taking into account the estimated cash surplus or deficit at the end of the current fiscal year, as provided in the preceding section hereof, unless the mayor sha…

The budget message shall contain the recommendations of the mayor concerning the fiscal policy of the city, a description of the important features of the budget plan, an explanation of all changes in each budget submitted, as to estimated receipts and recommended expenditures as…

The mayor shall cause the budget message to be printed, mimeographed or otherwise reproduced for general distribution at the time of its submission to the council and sufficient copies of the proposed general fund, public utility and capital budgets to be made, to supply copies t…

At the meeting of the council at which the budget and budget message are submitted, the council 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 the date of publi…

After the conclusion of the public hearing the council may insert new items of expenditures or may increase, decrease, or strike out items of expenditure in the general fund budget, except that no item of expenditure for debt service, or any other item required to be included by …

If a majority of the qualified electors voting in the election provided herein choose a mayor-council form of government, the following provisions of this chapter shall be applicable. (Acts 1985, No. 85-229, p. 96, §5.)

At the head of the budget there shall appear a summary of the budget, which need not be itemized further than by principal sources of anticipated revenue, stating separately the amount to be provided by property tax, kinds of expenditures itemized according to departments, doing …

Not later than the twentieth day of September of the current fiscal year, the council by a majority vote shall adopt the general fund budget, and such ordinance providing for additional revenue as may be necessary to put the budget in balance, including a two percent reserve. If …

If the mayor shall disapprove of any expenditure line item contained in the budget transmitted to him by the council, he shall, within 10 days of the time of its passage by the council, return the same to the clerk with his objections in writing, and the clerk shall make report t…

Upon final adoption, the budget shall be in effect for the budget year. A copy of the budget, as finally adopted, shall be certified by the mayor and the city clerk and filed in the office of the director of finance. The budget so certified shall be printed, mimeographed, or othe…

Separate budget estimates for any public utility owned and operated by the city shall be submitted to the director of finance at the same time as the budget estimates of other departments, and in the form prescribed by the director of finance. The mayor shall present to the counc…

After the current expense budgets have been adopted and before the beginning of the fiscal year, the head of each department, office, and agency, shall submit to the mayor in such form as the mayor shall prescribe a work program which shall show the requested appropriations for s…

At the request of the mayor, the council may by resolution transfer any unencumbered balance or portion thereof in any general fund appropriation from one department, office, or agency to another department, office, or agency. (Acts 1985, No. 85-229, p. 96, §56; Acts 1993, No. 93…

Appropriations in addition to those contained in the original general fund budget ordinance, may be made by the council by not less than five affirmative votes, but only on the recommendation of the mayor and only if the director of finance certifies in writing that there is avai…

At any time in any budget year, the council may make emergency appropriations to meet a pressing need for public expenditures, for other than a regular or recurring requirement, to protect the public health, safety, or welfare. Such appropriation may be made by the council by not…

Any portion of an appropriation remaining unexpended and unencumbered in the general fund at the close of the fiscal year shall lapse. (Acts 1985, No. 85-229, p. 96, §59; Acts 1993, No. 93-301, p. 435, §1.)

An election shall be held in 1985 at the regularly scheduled municipal election and the officials elected shall take office upon the expiration of the present official’s term of office. Seven council members to be elected by districts and a mayor to be elected at-large shall be e…

At the same time that he submits the general fund budget, the mayor shall submit to the council a capital improvement program covering all recommended capital improvement projects for the ensuing fiscal year and for the four fiscal years thereafter, with his recommendation as to …

The council shall adopt a capital budget prior to the beginning of the fiscal year in which the budget is to take effect. No appropriations for a capital improvement project contained in the capital budget shall lapse until the purpose for which the appropriation was made shall h…

No payment shall be made and no obligation incurred by or on behalf of the city except in accordance with an appropriation duly made, and no payment shall be made from or obligation incurred against any appropriation unless the director of finance shall first certify that there i…

Any officially adopted budget in existence at the time that the council is first organized shall continue in force and effect during the balance of the city’s then fiscal year, or until such time as the mayor may submit to the council and the council adopts an amended, altered, o…

There shall be a department of finance, the head of which shall be the financial officer of the city. The director shall be appointed by the mayor and shall not be subject to the provisions of the merit system. (Acts 1985, No. 85-229, p. 96, §64.)

The director of finance shall be a person skilled in municipal accounting, taxation, and financial control. He shall provide a bond with such surety and in such amount as the council may require by resolution or ordinance. The premium on said bond shall be paid by the city. (Acts…

The director of finance shall have general management and control of the several divisions and units of the department of finance. He or she shall have charge, subject to the direction and control of the mayor, of the administration of the financial affairs of the city, and to th…

No officer, department, or agency shall, during any budget year, expend or contract to expend any money or incur any liability, for any purpose in excess of the amounts appropriated for that general classification of expenditure pursuant to this chapter. Any contract, verbal or w…

All fees received by any officer or employee of the city shall belong to the city government and shall be paid daily to the department of finance. (Acts 1985, No. 85-229, p. 96, §68.)

There shall be established in the department of finance a division responsible for purchases, the head of which shall be the city purchasing agent. Such division head, pursuant to rules and regulations established by resolution or ordinance, shall contract for, purchase, store, a…

Council candidates shall qualify as provided by law and shall have the qualification and eligibility set forth herein. Each voter in the election may cast one vote for a candidate from his district, and one vote for a candidate for mayor. Any district councilman candidate receivi…

Before the purchasing agent makes any purchase of or contract for supplies, materials, or equipment he shall give ample opportunity for competitive bidding, under such rules and regulations as the council may prescribe by resolution or ordinance; provided, however, the council sh…

Any city improvement costing more than $2,000.00 shall be executed by contract except where such improvement is authorized by the council to be executed directly by a city department in conformity with detailed plans, specifications and estimates. All such contracts for more than…

All purchases made and contracts executed by the purchasing agent shall be pursuant to a written requisition from the head of the office, department or agency whose appropriation will be charged, and no contract or order shall be issued to any vendor unless and until the director…

In any budget year, in anticipation of the collection of revenues, the council may by resolution authorize the borrowing of money by the issuance of negotiable notes of the city, each of which shall be designated “revenue note for the year _____ (stating the budget year).” Such n…

In the absence of available revenues to meet emergency appropriations under the provisions of this chapter, the council may by resolution authorize the issuance of notes, each of which shall be designated “emergency note” and may be renewed from time to time, but all such notes a…

No notes shall be made payable on demand, but any note may be made subject to redemption prior to maturity upon notice and at such time as may be stated in the note. All notes may be sold at not less than par and accrue interest at private sale without previous advertisement. (Ac…

Nothing contained in the provisions of this chapter shall affect or impair the rights or privileges of officers or employees of the city or of any office, department, or agency existing at the time when this chapter shall take effect or any provision of law in force at the time w…

All personnel, except those specifically designated by the provisions of this chapter as removable at the discretion of the mayor, holding administrative office at the time the mayor-council form of government becomes effective shall continue in office and in the performance of t…

All records, property, and equipment of any office, department or agency, whose power and duties are assigned to any other office, department, or agency by the provisions of this chapter, shall be transferred and delivered to the office, department, or agency to which such powers…

Any office, department, or agency provided for by this chapter with a name or with powers and duties the same or substantially the same as those of any such office, department or agency heretofore existing, shall be deemed to be a continuation of such office, department, or agenc…

The candidate for mayor receiving the largest number of votes for the office shall be elected thereto, provided such candidate receives a majority of all votes cast for such office. If at the first election no candidate received a majority of the votes cast for the office, then a…

All contracts entered into by the city, or for its benefit, prior to the application to such city of the mayor-council form of government, shall continue in full force and effect. Public improvements for which legislative steps have been taken under laws existing at the time of t…

No action or proceeding, civil or criminal, pending at the time of the organization under the mayor-council form of government, brought by or against the city or any office, department, or agency or officer thereof, shall be affected or abated by the change to the mayor-council f…

All laws and parts of laws relating to pensions or retirement and relief funds for policemen, firemen, and other employees of the city, contained in the general or local laws of the state as the same may apply and be in effect with respect to any such city at the time when such c…

All laws and parts of laws relating to establishment or financing of an authority for fairgrounds, parks, exhibitions, and other facilities for the amusement, recreation, and cultural development of the citizens of the city, contained in the general or local laws of the state, as…