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<br />14. a. Article V (The Budget), and particularly Section 54, contains a deadline (adoption of <br />the budget not later than the 27th day oflast month of the fiscal year) that may be inconsistent <br />with current Truth in Taxation deadlines. <br />b. Truth in Taxation provisions required by state law impose certain deadlines, including <br />a final deadline for adoption of an ad valorem tax rate (which must be preceded by adoption <br />of the budget) that may conflict with, or make cumbersome, the meeting of deadlines in the <br />Charter. <br />c. Amend Article V to provide that in the event that deadlines for adoption of the budget or <br />tax rate in the Charter are inconsistent with deadlines imposed by state law, that state law <br />shall be followed. <br />d. This amendment should be considered seriously only if City staff has encountered the <br />type of scheduling and deadline problems described. <br /> <br />15. a. Section 58 provides for a "contingent appropriation" of not more than three percent of <br />the total general fund expenditure, to be expended only in the case of established <br />emergencIes. <br />b. If the contingent appropriation is currently a useful budgeting tool, the three percent <br />cap may be unnecessarily restrictive; if it is not a useful tool, the section is superfluous. <br />c. Modify the language of Section 58 to make the contingent appropriation a meaningful <br />budgeting tool if it is not one already. <br />d. This amendment should be considered seriously only if the Councilor City staff have <br />determined that the contingent appropriation provision is no longer meaningful. <br /> <br />16. a. Section 60 provides that the city budget may be amended only in cases of grave public <br />necessity "the actual fact of which shall have been certified in writing by not less than one <br />hundred (100) resident qualified voters owning real property within the corporate limits. . . ." <br />b. This requirement makes emergency amendment difficult and time-consuming, which <br />is inconsistent with a need for prompt response to a grave public necessity. <br />c. Amend this section to require that budget amendments be accomplished in the manner <br />provided by state law, which still requires a grave public necessity, but allows the city <br />council to make that determination, and allows non-emergency, simple amendments if they <br />do not increase the amount of funds to be expended. <br />d. This amendment will give the city council greater ability to respond to true emergency <br />(e.g. homeland security) issues. <br /> <br />17. a. Section 63 provides that municipal bonds shall never draw interest in excess of six per <br />cent per annum. <br />b. While not necessarily a problem in the current market, this provision could be <br />significantly restrictive under other economic circumstances. <br />c. Delete the six percent cap interest cap. <br />d. Input from City staff and bond counsel is recommended in analyzing the importance of <br />this suggested amendment. <br /> <br />18. * a. Section 74 requires that the sale of any land or other properties valued at more than <br />$1000.00 shall be advertised for bids in the local newspaper and shall be awarded to the <br />highest bidder. <br /> <br />5 <br />