§ 2-39. Councilmember expense accounts; council district appropriations; funding.

(a)

The chief financial officer is authorized and directed to establish within the city's standard chart of accounts, within the category of other current operating expenses, an expense account entitled "councilmember expense." The account shall be charged for expenses relating to official city business of the councilmember, to include but not be limited to business travel; convention and training; newsletter and other publication or correspondence production and distribution; office and operating supplies; service, maintenance or repair contracts; and subscriptions to publications. Should councilmembers desire to utilize a portion of their expense accounts to fund projects for the public good within their districts or city wide or to donate funds for charitable purposes, they may transfer funds within the other operating expense category from the councilmember expense account to the distribution account from which to fund such projects and charitable donations, which are outside the scope of regular office expenses. At-large councilmembers may utilize funds from said account for projects and donations in any district within the city.

(b)

For appropriations to each council district and post, the respective councilmember representing the district or post shall be deemed to be the equivalent of a department head within the context of authority over the funds appropriated to the center designated for the district or post and shall have authority to draw against and transfer among accounts within such center in conformity with this Code and administrative provisions, with the exception of the salaries permanent part-time and benefits accounts. During any fiscal year appropriations for salaries permanent part-time and benefits shall only be expended as compensation and benefits for council assistants and are restricted from transfer to any other account. All other expenditures within the center shall be charged against the appropriate expense account in the city's chart of accounts. Notwithstanding the foregoing, the prohibition against transferring allocations from a councilmember's cost center shall not apply to transfers from any line item in that councilmember's cost center to an operating department.

(c)

Subsections (a) and (b) of this section notwithstanding, the chief financial officer is authorized to ensure that funds required for salary and benefit costs shall be encumbered in such accounts and that no encumbered funds so required shall be spent for any other purpose, except that at the end of the fiscal year at which time any salary and benefit surplus or any other unexpended budget category shall be transferred to the councilmember's budget carry-forward account.

(d)

If any councilmember incurs expenses or obligations in excess of the sums appropriated for the member's use in any calendar year, the overage will be covered by amounts held in that councilmember's carry-forward balance. The overage in the expense account will be covered by ordinance with a transfer of appropriations from the carry-forward to the council member expense account. In the event the carry-forward balance is not sufficient to cover the overage, the appropriations for such councilmember for the succeeding year shall be reduced by the amount of any such overage. If such councilmember shall not be serving in office in the succeeding year, such excess expenses or obligations shall be immediately reimbursable to the city.

(e)

During election year council members shall not incur expenses and obligations for the first half of the fiscal year in excess of the sum of 50 percent of the budget appropriations. Councilmembers shall be authorized the use of 100 percent of funds in the individual council member carry forward account during this period. The restriction shall not apply to returning council members after election date or run-off date.

(f)

The mayor and chief financial officer are authorized to carry forward, as appropriations payable, from one fiscal year to the next, and from one term to the next term, unexpended funds in appropriations to the cost centers established for individual councilmembers who serve continuous uninterrupted terms. If such councilmember shall not be serving in office from one term to the next, any unexpended funds shall be returned to the general fund.

(Code 1977, § 1-1061(f)—(j); Ord. No. 2000-38, 6-28-00; Ord. No. 2001-54, § 1, 7-25-01; Ord. No. 2005-16, § 1, 3-2-05; Ord. No. 2013-21(13-O-1027), § 2, 5-29-13; Ord. No. 2014-30(14-O-1322), § 1, 7-16-14 ; Ord. No. 2014-41(14-O-1446), §§ 1, 2, 9-24-14 ; Ord. No. 2015-42(15-O-1316), § 1, 8-26-15 ; Ord. No. 2017-49(17-O-1452), § 1, 8-30-17 )