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Budget Information

Budget and Appropriation Process

The Charter provides for the Mayor, and such other officials as the Mayor shall select, to prepare a budget for consideration by the Board of Aldermen. The Mayor’s proposed budget must include certain historic and projected expense and revenue information and statements of anticipated tax levy and debt service requirements. The Mayor’s proposed budget is referred to a public hearing. After the public hearing the Board of Mayor and Aldermen may adopt the proposed budget with or without amendment. If amendments are made, a second public hearing may be held prior to final adoption. The Mayor may veto the entire budget or line items thereof. In the event of a veto all portions of the budget not vetoed shall be passed. If the BMA fails to adopt appropriation resolutions for the ensuing fiscal year by June 30th, the Mayor’s budget as originally proposed shall prevail.

The Charter also provides for supplemental appropriations, reductions of appropriations and transfers of appropriations under certain limited circumstances

Four Year Budget Trend

  2021     2022     2023     2024
Education $183,052,004     $173,111,686     $187,097,818     $191,759,220
General Government 17,815,970     18,051,867     18,742,866     25,011,825
Public Safety 48,954,180     50,472,176     51,633,037     55,604,988
Highway and Streets 19,521,383     20,578,269     21,421,714     19,504,209
Health and Welfare 4,121,583     4,043,047     4,078,143     3,066,657
Culture & Recreation 6,087,161     6,448,492     6,649,562     7,161,121
Economic Development 0     0     10,000     175,907
Non-Departmental Benefits (1) 46,065,444     46,852,003     51,232,676     52,070,459
Debt Service 17,212,645     16,100,000     16,100,000     16,100,000
Total Budget (2) $342,860,370     $342,830,370     $356,965,816     $370,455,386

 

(1) All benefit costs are excluded from departmental budgets.

(2) Sum of General Fund and School District expenditures. 

Budget Books

The Finance Department publishes an Annual "Budget Book" upon Budget approval by the Board of Mayor and Aldermen. The "Budget Book" contains an overall summary of the budget, an expense and revenue summary by agency (department) and detailed budget by agency (department) and organization (division). The following Budget Books are available for review and download. Adobe Reader is required to access this file.

Prior Fiscal Year budget books not listed below are available upon requst.