(a) During any fiscal year, an office, department, board, commission, or other agency of the County government may not spend, or contract to spend, 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 the same general classification of expenditure in the budget for that fiscal year, or in any supplemental appropriation as provided in this Article.
(b) (1) Except as otherwise authorized under paragraph (2) of this subsection and under Section 718(g) of this Charter, an office, department, board, commission, or other agency of the County government may not make any payment over One Hundred Dollars ($100) or incur any obligation or liability over One Hundred Dollars ($100) unless the Controller certifies that the funds for the designated purpose are available.
(2) The County Council may increase the limit set in paragraph (1) of this subsection for uncertified expenditures and then decrease the limit by ordinance to any amount not lower than that set in paragraph (1).
(c) Nothing in this or any other section of this Charter prevents the making of contracts of lease or for services providing for the payment of funds at a time beyond the fiscal year in which the contracts are made, if the nature of the transactions reasonably requires the making of the contracts. However, any contract, lease or other obligation requiring the payment of funds from the appropriations of a later fiscal year shall be made or approved by ordinance.
(d) An office, department, board, commission, or other agency of County government may not contract for the purchase of real or leasehold property unless the funds for the contract are included in the capital budget.
(e) (1) Any contract, verbal or written, made in violation of this section is null and void.
(2) Any officer, agent, or employee of the County who knowingly spends County funds in violation of this section is personally liable for the amount spent.
(3) Notwithstanding the provisions of Article VIII of this Charter, after a public hearing, the County Executive or, on a majority vote, the County Council may remove from office any officer, agent, or employee of the County who knowingly violates this section.
(Bill No. 73-82; Res. No. 24-98; Res. No. 19-06)
Editor's note – The 2006 amendment deleted the reference to budgetary allotments. Although former Sec. 714 pertaining to work programs and allotments was eliminated from the Charter in 1988, references to allotments remained throughout various articles and sections of the Charter.