Commission reviews proposed charter edits for capital budget: public‑hearing rules, submission deadline and limited reinstatement

City staff and the chief financial officer presented proposed edits to the charter’s budget chapter at the Charter Vision Commission meeting on April 15, focusing on the capital budget process. The package moves a general public‑hearing requirement into the capital chapter, sets a mayoral submission date for capital estimates, and proposes a narrow reinstatement mechanism tied to a specific council transfer authority.

Specifically, staff proposed adding language that requires the mayor to submit capital budget estimates by Feb. 15 and requiring public hearings on capital budget items at the same points in the process where budgets are approved. The draft also restores a limited “reinstatement” provision: if the common council transfers a capital item into the operating budget under section 10‑15(d), the reinstatement clause would allow that item to be restored to the capital budget through the reinstatement procedure (limited only to transfers made under 10‑15(d)).

Why it matters: The changes are intended to create a clearer, parallel process for the capital budget that matches the operating budget’s submission, notice and hearing structure, and to clarify the council’s and BET’s respective authorities on transfers and reinstatement. Commissioners emphasized the importance of public hearings and transparency in capital planning and asked staff to draft final wording.

Next steps: The commission directed staff to prepare precise charter text reflecting the Feb. 15 submission deadline, the consolidated public‑hearing language, and the limited reinstatement language tied to section 10‑15(d). The commission expects draft language at the next meeting before a final vote on the charter text.

Ending: Staff said it will circulate the redline and a clean version of the chapter reflecting the requested changes and will return with final draft language for the commission’s review.