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Council members told to submit budget-adjustment requests with numbers; law department to prepare legislation
Summary
Councilors were advised to send specific dollar amounts for council-initiated budget adjustments to Director Hairston so the law department can draft legislation; finance sign-off is required before passage but not for introduction.
Council members seeking budget adjustments were told on April 21 to submit proposed legislation with specific dollar amounts so the law department can draft ordinance language.
Law Director Hairston said councilors are empowered under the charter to introduce legislation but must provide a fiscal-officer certificate before passage if the change affects expenditures. Hairston and the finance director offered to provide information about available funds, but councilors were told the law department needs a numeric amount to craft the ordinance.
Council members asked whether the law department requires direct finance-department sign-off before introduction. Hairston said the finance office’s confirmation is required for passage (a fiscal officer’s certificate) rather than for introduction; however, she asked that councilors share proposed numbers so staff can vet whether the targeted fund has unencumbered balance.
Several specific budget items were discussed as examples: a proposed $38,000 allocation for a composting program (councilmember stated preference for the general fund, 101), and larger street-funding requests mentioned in the meeting (examples cited: $4 million and $2 million requests)—councilmembers were urged to identify the fund they wish to increase. Council also discussed creating new council-specific account lines (e.g., for a council internship program) and were told account creation is a system/administrative task separate from the legislative drafting process.
Direction: councilors were asked to send budget-adjustment requests with dollar amounts to Director Hairston and to copy the finance director so staff can validate fund availability and prepare introduction-ready legislation. The law department said it will prepare ordinance language after receiving the numeric request and a finance confirmation for passage.
