The city budget shall be preceded by a budget message which shall explain the budget both in fiscal terms and work programs. It shall outline the proposed financial policies of the city for the ensuing fiscal year, describe the important features of the budget, indicate any major changes from the current year in financial policies, expenditures, and revenues together with the reasons for such changes, and include such other material deemed relevant to commission consideration of the document.
The budget shall provide a complete financial plan of all city funds and activities for the ensuing fiscal year, and except as required by law or this charter, shall be in such form as the chief executive officer deems desirable or the commission may require. In organizing the budget, the most feasible combination of expenditure classification by fund, organization unit, program, purpose, activity, or object shall be utilized. It shall begin with a clear general summary of its contents; shall show in detail all estimated income, indicating the proposed property tax levy, and all proposed expenditures, including debt service, for the ensuing fiscal year; and shall be so arranged as to show comparative figures for actual and estimated income and expenditures for three fiscal years - the last completed fiscal year, the year of preparation of the budget, and the projections for the ensuing fiscal year. It shall indicate in separate sections:
(1) proposed expenditures for operations during the ensuing fiscal year, detailed by departments, in terms of their respective work programs, and the method of financing such expenditures;
(2) proposed capital improvement expenditures during the ensuing fiscal year, detailed by purpose and the proposed method of financing each capital expenditure;
(3) anticipated net surplus or deficit for the ensuing fiscal year of each utility owned or enterprise fund operated by the city and the proposed method of its disposition; budgets for each utility or enterprise fund giving detailed income and expenditure information shall be included; and
(4) detailed schedules indicating the city’s debt position and debt service requirements.
The total of proposed expenditures shall not exceed the total of estimated income.