A. The municipal budget shall present a complete financial plan for the municipality and shall present information necessary and proper to disclose the financial position and condition of the municipality and the revenues and expenditures thereof, both past and anticipated.
B. Unless the budget is prepared in accordance with Sections 4 and 5 of this act, the budget shall be prepared by fund and department and shall contain the following contents:
1. The budget shall contain a budget summary;
2. It shall also be accompanied by a budget message which shall explain the budget and describe its important features;
3. The budget format shall be as provided by the governing body in consultation with the chief executive officer; and
4. It shall contain at least the following in tabular form for each fund, itemized by department and account within each fund:
C. The estimate of revenues for any budget year shall include probable income by source which the municipality is legally empowered to collect or receive at the time the budget is adopted. The estimate shall be based on a review and analysis of past and anticipated revenues of the municipality. Any portion of the budget of revenues to be derived from ad valorem property taxation shall not exceed the amount of tax which is available for appropriation, as finally determined by the county excise board, or which can or must be raised as required by law. The budget of expenditures for each fund shall not exceed the estimated revenues for each fund. No more than ten percent (10%) of the total budget for any fund may be budgeted for miscellaneous purposes. Included in the budget of revenues or expenditures for any fund may be amounts transferred from or to another fund. Any such interfund transfer must be shown as a disbursement from the one fund and as a receipt to the other fund.
D. Encumbrances for funds whose sole purpose is to account for grants and capital projects and/or any unexpended appropriation balances may be considered nonfiscal and excluded from the budget by the governing body, but shall be reappropriated to the same funds, accounts and for the same purposes for the successive fiscal year, unless the grant, project or purpose is designated or declared closed or completed by the governing body.
Added by Laws 1979, c. 111, § 6. Amended by Laws 2002, c. 98, § 2, eff. Nov. 1, 2002; Laws 2002, c. 440, § 1, eff. Nov. 1, 2002; Laws 2006, c. 314, § 3, eff. July 1, 2006.