16-4-104. Preparation of budgets; contents; review; subsequent authorized projects.

(a) All departments shall submit budget requests to the appropriate budget officer on or before May 1, except as provided for in subsection (h) of this section. On or before May 15, the budget officer shall prepare a requested budget for each fund and file the requested budget with the governing body, except as provided for in subsection (h) of this section. The requested budget shall be prepared to best serve the municipality and county budget officers shall include all departmental requests. The governing body may amend the requested budget and the requested budget as amended shall be the budget proposed for adoption.

(b) The appropriate budget officer shall prepare a proposed budget for each fund and file the proposed budget with the governing body in a timely fashion allowing the governing body to meet the hearing date and notice requirements established by W.S. 16-4-109. The format of the proposed budget shall be prepared to best serve the municipality except that the budget formats for community colleges shall be uniform and approved by the community college commission and the director of the state department of audit. The proposed budget shall set forth:

(i) Actual revenues and expenditures in the last completed budget year;

(ii) Estimated total revenues and expenditures for the current budget year;

(iii) The estimated available revenues and expenditures for the ensuing budget year.

(c) Each proposed and adopted budget shall contain the estimates of expenditures and revenues developed by the budget officer together with specific work programs and other supportive data as the governing body requests. The estimates of revenues shall contain estimates of all anticipated revenues from any source whatsoever including any revenues from state distribution of taxes including sales and use tax including any local optional sales and use tax, lodging tax, fuel tax, cigarette tax and severance tax, federal mineral royalties from the state, any mineral royalty grants from the state loan and investment board, and any local sources including business permits and building permits. The estimates shall be made according to budget year, including the difference from the previous budget year for each source.

(d) Each proposed and adopted budget shall be accompanied by a budget message in explanation of the budget. The budget message shall contain an outline of the proposed financial policies for the budget year and describe in connection therewith the important features of the budgetary plan. It shall also state the reasons for changes from the previous year in appropriation and revenue items and explain any major changes in financial policy.

(e) The proposed budget shall be reviewed and considered by the governing body in a regular or special meeting called for this purpose. Following a public hearing as provided in W.S. 16-4-109, the governing body shall adopt a budget.

(f) This act does not prevent the municipality from undertaking any project authorized by vote of the people after adoption of the budget.

(g) Repealed By Laws 2009, Ch. 90, § 3.

(h) Any incorporated city or town may employ a two (2) year budget cycle and adopt a two (2) year budget under the following conditions:

(i) The two (2) year period shall begin with the city's or town's first fiscal year following a budget session of the legislature;

(ii) For the second year of the budget cycle, the budget officer shall prepare a budget adjustment that includes the original budget and any proposed changes in revenues and expenditures. The governing body shall consider and adopt the second year budget adjustment according to the same procedure that was used for the original two (2) year budget, including all public notices and hearings;

(iii) The city or town shall comply with all other provisions of this act. The requirements of this act may be performed on a biennial basis pursuant to this subsection unless this act specifies that the requirement be performed on a fiscal year or annual basis and the provision in which the requirement appears does not reference this subsection. Any other provision of law imposing reporting or other requirements upon a city or town on an annual or fiscal year basis shall not be affected by the adoption of a biennial year budget pursuant to this subsection unless the provision in which the requirement appears references this subsection.

(j) Repealed by Laws 2008, Ch. 44, § 2.