§ 2-70.1. Establishment of funds; revenues; expenditures and accounts.


Latest version.
  • A. 
    For the purpose of providing structure and control to the accounting, budget and financial activities of the City, all revenues shall be deposited, maintained, disbursed and accounted for through the following enumerated funds:
    (1) 
    General fund. All revenues received by the City, unless otherwise specified by ordinance, annual budget resolution, federal or state law or regulation, contract or bond redemption agreement shall be deposited, maintained disbursed and accounted for through the general fund.
    (2) 
    Water fund. All revenues received by the City from water system usage or consumption charges, water tap or meter fees, special project charges, water related grants and debt service shall be deposited, maintained, disbursed and accounted for through the water fund.
    (3) 
    Wastewater fund. All revenues received by the City from sewer usage fees, tap charges, special project charges, sewer related grants and debt service shall be deposited, maintained, disbursed and accounted for through the wastewater fund.
    (4) 
    Sanitation fund. All revenues received by the City from trash or garbage collection, landfill site use, refuse disposal, sanitation related grants and debt service shall be deposited, maintained, disbursed and accounted for through the sanitation fund.
    (5) 
    Cemetery fund. All revenues received by the City from the sale of burial plots, lot and grave spaces, issuance of burial permits, opening and closing fees, perpetual care maintenance fees and debt services shall be deposited, maintained, disbursed and accounted for through the cemetery fund. The City shall maintain a minimum balance of one hundred thousand dollars in the fund as a permanent trust for perpetual cares services.
    (6) 
    Debt and bond service fund. All revenues used to defray finance costs or interest arising from general assessments, loans, bond redemption, contract service, debt amortization, or other City incurred general obligations shall be deposited, maintained, disbursed and accounted for through the debt and bond service fund.
    (7) 
    Reserve fund. At the beginning of each City fiscal year and in accordance with the approved City budget for that period, the treasurer, or other officer appointed by the mayor, shall credit to this fund an amount equal to ten percent of the aggregate appropriations authorized by the governing body. The moneys in this fund shall be used only for the purpose of covering emergency expenditures or to redress a deficit resulting from a decline in estimated revenues. No emergency or supplemental expenditure shall be made beyond the level of the moneys appropriated to this fund without the approval of the governing body.
    (8) 
    Other funds. Any other fund established by the governing body through an ordinance or the annual budget resolution.
    B. 
    The City shall prescribe uniform practices and procedures in accordance with generally accepted accounting principles governing the receipt of all revenues by any department or entity of the City not otherwise excepted by ordinance, to insure the proper recording, accounting, depositing and disbursement of all City revenues.
    C. 
    Every employee or agent of the City charged with the collection of moneys on behalf of the City shall forward all revenues received to the treasurer, or other officer designated by the mayor, in conformance with schedules established by him. Provided, however, that single or collective receipts totaling five hundred dollars or more shall be forwarded by the receiving employee or agent not later than eight business hours after receipt thereof.
    D. 
    It is the exclusive responsibility of the treasurer, or other officer designated by the mayor, to establish and utilize bank and credit card accounts, investment instruments and other depositories required to carry on the financial business of the City. Accounts or instrumentalities established under this section shall be maintained at, or acquired through, financial institutions located within the City unless specific authorization is otherwise granted by the governing body.
    E. 
    The treasurer, or other officer designated by the mayor, shall establish and maintain a plan for allocating the respective costs incurred by one fund, department of the budget, on behalf of another to insure the proper recording of such transactions and that resulting interfund transactions are accomplished in accordance with generally accepted standards of accounting and budgeting.
    F. 
    The treasurer, or other officer designated by the mayor, shall prescribe the type and format of the official City warrants, checks, drafts or orders for use in the conduct of all City financial transactions. All warrants shall contain the signatories of the mayor and City clerk.
    G. 
    No expenditure shall be made from any fund, budget or account and no warrant shall be drawn, nor shall any request be submitted by any employee or official of the City for the drawing of a warrant, check or order unless funds have been appropriated for that purpose. Provided that the mayor or in his absence, the president of the City council may authorize expenditures for emergency purposes from the appropriation to the reserve fund.
    H. 
    The treasurer, or other officer designated by the mayor, shall each month, prepare for review and approval by the governing body a listing of accounts payable and accounts paid in the respective monthly reporting period.
    No warrant, check, draft or order shall be drawn in payment for goods or services acquired by the City, without prior approval by the governing body. The treasurer, or other officer designated by the mayor, may, however, issue a warrant, check, draft or order when payment is:
    (1) 
    In conformance with a lease or contract previously approved by the governing body;
    (2) 
    In conformance with a bond issuance and redemption schedule previously approved by the governing body under applicable law;
    (3) 
    In conformance with a loan amortization plan or capitalization of indebtedness previously approved by the governing body under applicable law;
    (4) 
    In conformance with a City bid award and contract;
    (5) 
    Necessary to obtain a discount or prevent a late payment penalty from being assessed;
    (6) 
    A result of an emergency expenditure authorized by applicable law;
    (7) 
    For City employee salaries, wages and benefits in accordance with the compensation and benefit plan approved by the governing body;
    (8) 
    To defray City employee travel and per diem reimbursement;
    (9) 
    To defray postage and freight charges;
    (10) 
    To defray legal and title recording fees:
    (11) 
    Any expenditure specifically designated in the approved budget.
    I. 
    Management of the accounting and fiscal components of any grants received by the City from federal, state or other governmental sources shall be the responsibility of the treasurer, or other officer designated by the mayor, including the maintenance of all financial records and the preparation of the periodic requests for the distribution of grant funds to the City. The treasurer, or other officer designated by the mayor, shall insure that grant funds are utilized for their designated purposes by all departments or entities of the City and shall also provide monthly reports to the governing body detailing the status of grants received.
    J. 
    Nothing contained in this section shall be construed as applying any of the foregoing to the urban renewal agency and the housing authority of the City.
Added by Ord. No. 84-12; amended by Ord. No. 00-14