(a) After a public hearing, the Council may decrease or delete any items in the Budget, except those required by State law, by provisions for debt service on obligations then outstanding or for estimated cash deficits. The Council shall have no power to change the form of the Budget as submitted by the Executive, to alter revenue estimates, or to increase any expenditure recommended by the Executive, unless expressly provided in State law and except to correct mathematical errors.
(b) Except as provided in subsection (c) of this section, any change in the proposed Budget to decrease or delete an item in the Budget made pursuant to subsection (a) of this section shall constitute a change of substance requiring that a public hearing be held following the posting of a fair summary of the change plus the date, time and place of the public hearing. This notice must be posted on the County website at least two days in advance of the public hearing.
(c) A decrease or deletion of one or more items in the Budget may not constitute a change of substance in the proposed Budget if the decrease or deletion constitutes less than a one percent change in the total Budget or less than a fifty percent decrease in any one line item in the Budget.
(d) The adoption of the Budget shall be by the affirmative vote of not less than four members of the Council in a law enacted not later than May 31, which shall be known as the “Annual Budget and Appropriations Ordinance of Frederick County.” If the Council fails to adopt the Budget by May 31 pursuant to this subsection, the proposed Budget as submitted by the Executive shall become law.
(Res. 16-17, 7-19-2016)