(a) Each local fire and rescue department supported in whole or in part with tax funds must prepare an annual budget recommendation that describes its requirements with appropriate justification in a format prescribed by the County Executive. Each department’s budget recommendation must be submitted to the Fire Chief by the deadline set by the Chief.
(b) The Fire Chief must prepare and submit to the Commission for its review and comment a unified Fire and Rescue Service budget, including the proposed budgets for local fire and rescue departments and the staff and compensation proposed for the LFRD representative.
(c) The Chief must forward the Commission’s comments and recommendations on the Chief’s proposed budget, together with a summary and an analysis of County-wide implications and relationships to applicable provisions of the fire service master plan, to the County Executive for review and submission to the County Council as required by the County Charter. The Chief must transmit the proposed budget to the Executive by the deadline established by the Executive.
(d) The County Council must appropriate funds for fire, rescue, and emergency medical services for the ensuing fiscal year as prescribed by the Charter. A person must not encumber or spend funds in excess of appropriations. All distributions of appropriations to a local fire and rescue department are conditional on the local fire and rescue department’s complying with applicable law, County regulations and policies, and lawful orders of the Fire Chief. (1980 L.M.C., ch. 64, § 3; 1988 L.M.C., ch. 14, § 9; 1998 L.M.C., ch. 4, § 1; 2004 L.M.C., ch. 5, § 1; 2009 L.M.C., ch. 5, § 1.)
Editor’s note—Section 21-16 is cited and quoted, and Section 21-22 is cited in Kensington Volunteer Fire Department v. Montgomery County, 684 F.3d 463 (4th Cir. 2012).
Section 21-22, formerly § 21-4Q, was renumbered and amended pursuant to 1998 L.M.C., ch. 4, § 1.