(A) No intradepartment line item transfer in an amount greater than $400, or additional appropriation from any office or department whose budget is determined, established and overseen by the County Council shall be made unless and until the transfer or appropriation request has been approved, in a properly convened meeting, by a majority of the County Council and has been submitted to the Council in accordance with the procedures set forth herein, as follows.
(1) (a) Intradepartment transfers in the amount of $400 or less may be approved by the seated Council President or, at his or her discretion, may be approved by the Council or any member of the Budget and Finance Committee.
(b) A given line item may not receive more than one transfer of this type during any one budget year without being brought before the entire Council during an open meeting.
(c) Any transfer approved by this method must be provided to all Council members at the first available Council meeting.
(2) Within five days of the receipt of a request to transfer funds or appropriate additional funds from any office or department whose budget is established, determined and overseen by the County Council, the County Auditor shall provide notice of the request to the President of the Council and shall place the request on the agenda for the next regular meeting of the County Council all additionals and any transfers that the President or Finance Committee member did not approve or exceeds the stated $400 amount.
(3) The elected official making the request shall is expected to personally appear at the meeting of the County Council to discuss the request and the necessity for its approval.
(4) When there is no elected official over an office or department, the department head of that office shall appear before the Council to discuss the request and the necessity for its approval.
(B) Failure of the elected official or department head to attend the meeting may result in the request being denied or tabled until the time that his or her appearance before the Council can be arranged.
(C) Any intradepartmental line item transfer or additional appropriation that is expended without the prior approval of the County Council or by Council President or Finance Committee member in the case of those transfers which meet the $400 or less requirement is improper, unauthorized and will be considered by this Council to be null and void.
(Council Ord. 2009-4, passed - -2009)