The Mayor shall prepare, with the assistance of the Director of Finance, an annual appropriations ordinance which shall be presented to Council not later than the first regular Council meeting in March of the year in which it is to take effect. The appropriations ordinance shall be based on estimates of expenditures furnished by the director of each department and the chairman of each board or commission in such detail as the Mayor may require, except that the total of appropriations shall not exceed the amended certificate of estimated resources furnished for the year by the County Budget Commission.
Council shall take action on the proposed appropriation ordinance not later than the last regular meeting in March of each year, which action shall be passage of the ordinance in its original form or as amended. Thereafter, Council may make such amended or supplementary appropriations as it deems necessary or desirable. Council may make one or more temporary appropriations prior to the passage of the annual appropriations ordinance, so long as the total of all such appropriations falls within the amended certificate of estimated resources.
Council shall, prior to the fifteenth day of July of each year, adopt an annual budget for the following year. Prior to such adoption a public hearing shall be held, notice of which shall be given by publication of the subject, time and place of said hearing at least once, not less than seven (7) days prior to the hearing, in a newspaper determined by Council to be of general circulation in the Municipality.
(Amended 11-6-73.)