Section 236. Submission of the preliminary budget.

Not later than the sixteenth day of January, or in any calendar year immediately following the election of a mayor, the first day of February, the mayor shall submit to the council and publish a preliminary budget for the ensuing fiscal year. Copies of such budget shall be provided to the council, borough presidents, each community board and borough board, the city planning commission, and the department of city planning. A copy of such preliminary budget shall also be provided to the council not later than the sixteenth day of January, or in any calendar year immediately following the election of a mayor, the first day of February, in both a human-readable format or spreadsheet and in a non-proprietary format or spreadsheet that permits automated processing and renders such data capable of being downloaded in bulk or any other format mutually agreed upon between the mayor and the council.

(Am. L.L. 2017/218, 12/1/2017, eff. 12/1/2017; Am. L.L. 2024/117, 12/3/2024, eff. 12/3/2024)

Section 237. Report of independent budget office on revenues and expenditures.

On or before the first day of February, or in any calendar year immediately following the election of a mayor, the fifteenth day of February, the director of the independent budget office shall publish a report, for the ensuing fiscal year, with respect to expected levels of revenues and expenditures, taking into account projected economic factors and the proposals contained in the preliminary budget submitted by the mayor for such fiscal year. Such report shall also include a discussion of city budget priorities, including alternative ways of allocating the total amount of appropriations, expenditures and commitments for such fiscal year among major programs or functional categories taking into account how such alternative allocations will meet major city needs and effect balanced growth and development in the city.

(Am. L.L. 2024/117, 12/3/2024, eff. 12/3/2024)

Section 238. Community board review of preliminary budget.

Not later than the fifteenth day of February, each community board shall submit to the mayor, the council, director of management and budget, the appropriate borough president and each member of the borough board of the borough in which the community board is located, a statement containing the community board's assessment of the responsiveness of the preliminary budget to its statement of budget priorities submitted pursuant to section two hundred thirty and any other comments or recommendations which it wishes to make in regard to the preliminary budget.

Section 239. Estimate of assessed valuation, and statement of taxes due and uncollected by the commissioner of finance.

Not later than the fifteenth day of February, the commissioner of finance shall submit to the mayor and to the council:

   a.   a tentative estimate of the assessed valuation of real property subject to taxation for the ensuing fiscal year, which shall be published forthwith in the City Record; and

   b.   a certified statement showing as of a specified date the amount of all real property taxes due, the amount expected to be received and the amount actually uncollected by such categories and classifications as will facilitate understanding of such information.

Section 240. Tax benefit report.

Not later than the fifteenth day of February the mayor shall submit to the council a tax benefit report which shall include:

   a.   a listing of all exclusions, exemptions, abatements, credits or other benefits allowed against city tax liability, against the base or the rate of, or the amount due pursuant to, each city tax, provided however that such listing need not include any benefits which are applicable without any city action to such city tax because they are available in regard to a federal or state tax on which such city tax is based; and

   b.   a description of each tax benefit included in such listing, providing the following information:

      1.   the legal authority for such tax benefit;

      2.   the objectives of, and eligibility requirements for, such tax benefit;

      3.   such data and supporting documentation as are available and meaningful regarding the number and kind of taxpayers using benefits pursuant to such tax benefit and the total amount of benefits used pursuant to such tax benefit, by taxable and/or fiscal year;

      4.   for each tax benefit pursuant to which a taxpayer is allowed to claim benefits in one year and carry them over for use in one or more later years, the number and kind of taxpayers carrying forward benefits pursuant to such tax benefit and the total amount of benefits carried forward, by taxable and/or fiscal year;

      5.   for nineteen hundred ninety and each year thereafter for which the information required by paragraphs three and four are not available, the reasons therefor, the steps being taken to provide such information as soon as possible, and the first year for which such information will be available;

      6.   such data and supporting documentation as are available and meaningful regarding the economic and social impact and other consequences of such tax benefit; and

      7.   a listing and summary of all evaluations and audits of such tax benefit issued during the previous two years.

Section 241. Borough board preliminary budget hearings.

Not later than the twenty-fifth day of February each borough board shall submit a comprehensive statement on the budget priorities of the borough to the mayor, council, and director of management and budget. Each borough board, in the preparation of this statement, shall, upon adequate public notice, hold one or more public hearings on the preliminary budget, to obtain the views and recommendations of the community boards within the borough, residents of the borough and others with substantial interests in the borough, on the proposals contained in the preliminary budget and on the capital and service needs of the borough. Officers of agencies, when requested by the borough board, shall appear and be heard.

Section 242. Statement of debt service by the comptroller.

Not later than the first day of March, the comptroller shall submit to the mayor and to the council a certified statement which shall be published forthwith in the City Record and which shall contain a schedule of the appropriations required during the ensuing fiscal year for debt service, including appropriations to the several sinking funds as required by law, and such other information as may be required by law.

Section 243. The operating budget of the council.

Not later than the tenth day of March, the council shall approve and submit to the mayor detailed itemized estimates of the financial needs of the council for the ensuing fiscal year. Such estimates shall be comprised of at least one personal service unit of appropriation and at least one other than personal service unit of appropriation for each standing committee of the council and for each organizational unit established pursuant to section forty-five of this charter. The mayor shall include such estimates in the executive budget without revision, but with such recommendations as the mayor may deem proper.

Section 244. Preparation of the executive budget.

In preparing the executive budget to be submitted in accordance with section two hundred forty-nine, the mayor shall consult with the borough presidents.