65.20 Executive budget procedures in cities of the 1st class.

(1) Alternative. As an alternative to any other budget procedure under this chapter, the common council of any city of the 1st class may, by adoption of a charter ordinance, permanently transfer the duties and responsibilities of the board of estimates relating to the preparation of the proposed budget under ss. 65.02 to 65.06 to the mayor of such city. Any charter ordinance adopted under this section shall provide that:

(a) The functions of the board of estimates relating to the preparation of the city budget are permanently transferred to the mayor who shall prepare the proposed budget and present it to the common council. The budget presented by the mayor shall be called the “executive budget" and its contents shall comply with the requirements of ss. 65.02 to 65.04 in all respects, consistent with any variation that is necessary due to the common council having adopted a biennial budget procedure under s. 65.025.

(am) Any budget department existing on October 25, 1977 shall be transferred to the office of the mayor. The director and employees of the department shall retain their civil service status.

(b) Each department shall submit to the mayor not later than the 2nd Tuesday in May of each budget period on forms approved by the budget director an estimate in detail of the department's needs for the ensuing budget period, including a statement of any permanent improvements to be made and an estimate of expenditures therefor, and including such information supplied in such form as the mayor requests.

(c) Any department whose funds are not subject to the control of the common council may include in its estimate such sum as it deems reasonably necessary for a contingent fund for emergency purposes or other purposes which may arise during the budget period requiring the expenditure of money in addition to the sums provided for the several purposes or for purposes for which no express provision is made in the budget.

(d) The mayor shall hold hearings with respect to departmental requests at the times and places the mayor or the common council, by ordinance, directs. All hearings shall be open to the public. The mayor shall conduct the hearings in the manner in which the mayor determines best suited to fulfilling the purpose of the hearings. For each budget period, the mayor shall prepare a requested budget summary which shall be published at least once prior to the commencement of the hearings in the newspaper having the largest circulation in the city. A complete copy of the entire requested budget shall be made available for public inspection in the office of the city clerk.

(e) From the estimates before him or her, the mayor shall make and submit to the common council, on or before September 28 each budget period, a proposed budget setting forth in detail the amounts proposed to be spent by each department and the various purposes therefor and the amounts of money for each purpose it is proposed shall be appropriated by the council. The proposed budget shall comply with s. 65.02 (5) to (11). The proposed budget summary shall be published forthwith in at least one and not more than 2 daily newspapers having the largest circulation in the city as a class 1 notice, under ch. 985, and the proposed budget summary shall be printed forthwith in the proceedings of the common council. A complete copy of the entire proposed budget shall be made available for inspection in the office of the city clerk. If any department fails to file its estimates as provided in this section, the mayor shall make a proposed budget for the department specifying the purposes for which and the amount of funds the department may expend.

(f) The mayor may not change any sum or purpose of any department which by law is authorized to determine the purposes of its expenditures and the tax to be levied therefor, unless the department by formal resolution shall so determine by an affirmative vote of a majority of its members. The mayor shall then make the change and include a certified copy of the resolution with its estimates to be filed with the common council.

(g) In addition to the purposes required to be set forth in detail, the mayor may provide a contingent fund for such sum as the mayor deems reasonably necessary for emergency and other purposes that may arise during the budget period requiring the expenditure of money in addition to the sums provided for the several purposes, and for purposes for which no express provision is made in the budget.

(h) The mayor shall also include in the proposed budget the amount of bonds and the purposes for them, to be issued during the budget period, except such bonds as are authorized to be omitted by express provision of law. Bonds authorized to be omitted include bonds issued for the purpose of refunding prior indebtedness of the city.

(i) At the meeting of the common council at which the proposed budget is submitted by the mayor, the common council shall determine the place and time of a public hearing on the budget which shall be held jointly by the common council and by the mayor not less than 10 days after the publication under par. (e), nor later than October 20. The common council shall cause a notice of the place and time of the hearing to be published as a class 1 notice, under ch. 985, which hearing may not be less than 7 days after the date of the last publication of the notice in at least one and not more than 2 daily newspapers having the largest circulation in the city.

(j) All functions of the board of estimates and the budget examining committee not related to the preparation of the proposed budget are transferred to the finance committee of the common council, except that any administrative matter shall be delegated to a budget department existing under par. (am) or by a budget department created under sub. (2).

(k) The operating and corporation budget shall be prepared on a program basis, a performance basis or similar basis. The budget shall be in the technical form prescribed by a budget department existing under par. (am) or by a budget department created under sub. (2).

(2) Creation of budget department by charter ordinance. If the city council adopts a charter ordinance under sub. (1), the city council may also adopt a charter ordinance which establishes a budget department in the office of the mayor and which defines the department's authority and operational procedures. A charter ordinance adopted under this subsection shall provide that:

(a) The budget director and employees of the budget department shall be selected under civil service rules and procedures. The budget department shall assist in preparing and analyzing the budget and shall be responsible to the mayor.

(b) The budget department shall make special studies, provide budget and management analysis and information and perform any other duties related to the department's functions, as the council determines are necessary.

History: 1977 c. 109; 1983 a. 207, 234, 538; 1987 a. 289; 1989 a. 266; 2019 a. 42.