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Motion of the Council of Allegheny County, amending the Rules of Council as adopted February 17, 2004, and amended on September 7, 2004, by providing for changes to Article V - Budget Process.
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NOW THEREFORE, IT IS MOVED, BY THE COUNCIL OF ALLEGHENY COUNTY, that Article V - Budget Process - of the Rules of Council is amended as follows:
ARTICLE V. BUDGET PROCESS.
The County budget year is coterminous with the calendar year. Balanced operating and capital budgets for the next fiscal year must be adopted by resolution of Council no later than twenty-five (25) days before the end of the current fiscal year.
A. Proposed BudgetsPresentation of the Comprehensive Fiscal Plan
1. The Chief Executive must appear before Council to deliver a budget message and submit the Comprehensive Fiscal Plan (the Plan) containing proposed balanced operating and capital budgets no later than seventy-five (75) days before the end of each fiscal year.
2. The President will receive the plan Plan and refer it to the Budget & Finance Committee for review and analysis. A copy of the budgets Plan as submitted will be available for public review in Council's offices. It is the responsibility of the County Manager to make available for public distribution summaries of the proposed budgetsPlan and the budget message. available for public distribution.
A. Rules for Proposing Modifications to Budgets
1. Council members may propose modifications to the budgets under consideration. All recommendations must be submitted in writing to the Budget & Finance Committee prior to the last scheduled committee meeting before the second reading of the tax ordinance and budget resolution at a meeting of Council.
i. All proposed changes to the budget must be in writing.
i. All proposed changes submitted to the Budget & Finance Committee will be considered for inclusion. Upon a majority vote of the committee, recommendations will be formulated into motions amending the original legislation, provided that the budget will remain balanced. The motion will be voted on as a whole by the Council at a general or special meeting of Council. A simple majority vote in the affirmative will amend the original legislation. The vote for recommendation will then be taken on the amended budget pursuant to the provisions of the Home Rule Charter and Administrative Code.
i. Proposed changes may be submitted in person at a committee meeting, or, in the event that the person proposing the changes cannot attend the meeting, they may submit the changes through Council's Chief of Staff. Recommendations must address both expenditures and revenues in order to maintain a balanced budget unless the recommendation is intended to reduce the overall spending level without affecting revenues.
B. Hearings - The Budget & Finance Committee shall hold a minimum of two (2) public hearings at which County Officials, the Courts, and the Directors and Managers of major County expenditure centers will present their request for appropriation for the next fiscal year. Time will be allotted at each hearing for the public to address the committee. The hearings must be held at least two (2) weeks prior to the adoption of the budget.
C. The Deliberation Process
1. The Budget & Finance Committee will meet in session upon completion of the hearings to deliberate about the requests for appropriation. All Council Members shall be given the opportunity to attend and participate in these meetings. The committee will produce a series of recommendations resulting in balanced budgets that may consist of additions, deletions, increases, or decreases to any proposed appropriation. The committee will present their recommendations to Council in the form of a resolution calling for the adoption of the budgets as presented by the committee. The committee shall also prepare an ordinance, which will precede the budget resolution on the agenda, fixing the rates of taxation on real property taxable for County purposes that, together with all other estimated revenues, shall raise a sufficient sum to meet the expenditures contained in the operating budget. In fixing the rate of taxation in mills, the ordinance must also include a statement expressing in dollars and cents the rate of taxation on each one hundred dollars ($100) of assessed valuation of taxable real property. The Budget Officer, at the discretion of the Budget & Finance Committee Chair, will prepare the ordinances and resolutions.
2. The real estate property tax levied cannot exceed the rate of thirty-five (35) mills for general operating purposes, although an additional five (5) mills restricted to the Community College may also be levied. The rate of taxation for payment of interest and principal on any indebtedness incurred pursuant to the “Local Government Unit Debt Act” or any prior or subsequent act or ordinance governing the incurrence of indebtedness is unlimited. The latter is generally referred to as the levy for debt service. The ordinance shall also fix the discount rate, if any, permitted on the payment of current real property tax paid during a specified period.
3. The ordinance shall also set the rates for penalties and interest on all current County real estate taxes which remain unpaid after the due date.
The Council staff, at the direction of the Budget & Finance Committee Chair, will prepare the ordinances and resolutions. A final vote will be taken by the entire Council at a meeting scheduled no less than seven (7) days after introduction of the ordinances and resolutions.
B.D. Rules for Proposing Modifications to Budgets
1. Council members may propose modifications amendments to the budgets legislation under consideration. All recommendations must be submitted in writing to the Budget & Finance Committee prior to the last scheduled committee meeting before the second reading of the tax ordinance and budget resolution at a meeting of Council.
i. All proposed changes to the budget must be in writing.
ii. All proposed changes submitted to the Budget & Finance Committee will be considered for inclusion. Upon a majority vote of the committee, recommendations will be formulated into motions amending the original legislation, provided that the budget will remain balanced. The motion will be voted on as a whole by the Council at a general or special meeting of Council. A simple majority vote of the seated committee members in the affirmative will amend the original legislation. The vote for recommendation will then be taken by the Committee on the amended budget pursuant to the provisions of the Home Rule Charter, and the Administrative Code, and these Rules.
iii. Proposed changes amendments may be submitted in person at a committee meeting, or, in the event that the person proposing the changes amendments cannot attend the meeting, they may submit the changes amendments through Council's Chief of Staff Budget Officer. Recommendations Amendments must address both expenditures and revenues in order to maintain a balanced budget unless the recommendation amendment is intended to reduce the overall spending level without affecting revenues. Amendment in committee shall not preclude the presentation of amendments at a regularly scheduled Council meeting, provided that the content of said amendments is in compliance with this Section.
2. A final vote will be taken by the entire Council at a meeting scheduled no less than seven (7) days after introduction of the ordinances and resolutions.