(A) The city shall operate under an annual budget ordinance adopted and administered in accordance with the provisions of this section. No moneys shall be expended from any governmental or proprietary fund except in accordance with a budget ordinance adopted pursuant to this section.
(B) Moneys held by the city as a trustee or agent for individuals, private organizations, or other governmental units need not be included in the budget ordinance.
(C) If in any fiscal year subsequent to a fiscal year in which the city has adopted a budget ordinance in accordance with this section, no budget ordinance is adopted, the budget ordinance of the previous fiscal year has full force and effect as if readopted.
(D) The budget ordinance of the city shall cover one fiscal year.
(E) Preparation of the budget proposal shall be the responsibility of the Mayor.
(F) The budget proposal shall be prepared in such form and detail as prescribed by ordinance.
(G) The budget proposal together with a budget message shall be submitted to Council not later than 30 days prior to the beginning of the fiscal year it covers. The budget message shall contain an explanation of the governmental goals fixed by the budget for the coming fiscal year; explain important features of the activities anticipated in the budget; set forth the reasons for stated changes from the previous year in program goals, programs, and appropriation levels; and explain any major changes in fiscal policy.
(H) (1) Council may adopt the budget ordinance making appropriations for the fiscal year in such sums as it finds sufficient and proper, whether greater or less than the sums recommended in the budget proposal. The budget ordinance may take any form that Council finds most efficient in enabling it to make the necessary fiscal policy decisions.
(2) No budget ordinance shall be adopted which provides for appropriations to exceed revenues in any one fiscal year in violation of Section 157 of the Kentucky Constitution.
(I) The full amount estimated to be required for debt service during the budget year shall be appropriated for all governmental fund types.
(J) Council may amend the budget ordinance at any time after the ordinance’s adoption, so long as the amended ordinance continues to satisfy the requirements of this section.
(K) Administration and implementation of an adopted budget ordinance shall be the responsibility of the Mayor. That responsibility includes the preparation and submission to Council of operating statements, including budgetary comparisons of each governmental fund for which an annual budget has been adopted. These reports shall be submitted not less than once every three months in each fiscal year.
(L) To the extent practical, the system utilized in the administration and implementation of the adopted budget ordinance shall be consistent in form with the accounting system called for in § 33.02.
(M) No city agency, or member, director, officer, or employee of a city agency, may bind the city in any way to any extent beyond the amount of money at that time appropriated for the purpose of the agency. All contracts, agreements, and obligations, expressed or implied, beyond such existing appropriations are void; nor shall any city officer issue any bond, certificate, or warrant for the payment of money by the city in any way to any extent, beyond the balance of any appropriation made for the purpose.
(KRS 91A.030)