Chico Municipal Code Art. XI Fiscal Administration

Unless otherwise provided by ordinance, the fiscal year of the City of Chico shall begin on the first day of July of each year and end on the 30th day of June the following year.

The council may, by ordinance, provide a system for assessment and for the levy and collection of city taxes upon real and personal property.

(Senate Concurrent Res. No. 59; Res. No. 17 85-86 §9, Passed 11-5-85, Filed in Office of Secretary of State 3-12-86)

The city manager shall prepare and present to the council a proposed budget for the ensuing fiscal year on or before the first day of the month preceding the commencement of such fiscal year. However, if the council elects to prepare a biennial budget pursuant to Section 1103, the city manager shall prepare and present to the council a proposed biennial budget for the next two succeeding fiscal years on or before the first day of the month preceding commencement of the first fiscal year addressed in such budget. The city manager shall append to each proposed budget the budget requests of those city departments, boards, and commissions for which special funds are established.

(Measure K, Passed 11-2-04, Filed in Office of Secretary of State 12-9-04)

A. The council shall consider and adopt by resolution a preliminary budget for the ensuing fiscal year during the month immediately preceding commencement of that fiscal year and shall adopt by resolution a final budget for that fiscal year at or before its first regular meeting held in such fiscal year.

B. Notwithstanding subsection A, the council may, in its sole discretion, elect to adopt a biennial budget for the next two (2) succeeding fiscal years in lieu of annual budgets for such fiscal years. Such election shall be made by resolution of the council adopted before the first day of January preceding commencement of the first fiscal year to be addressed by a biennial budget. Thereafter, the council shall consider and adopt by resolution a preliminary biennial budget during the month immediately preceding commencement of the first fiscal year of the biennial period to be addressed by such budget, and adopt by resolution a final biennial budget at or before its first regular meeting held in the first fiscal year of the biennial period addressed by such budget.

The council shall continue to consider and adopt biennial budgets unless and until the council, by resolution adopted before the first day of January preceding a fiscal year, elects to return to the preparation and adoption of an annual budget, commencing with the next fiscal year.

C. When adopting a final annual or biennial budget, the council may establish any tax rates or assessments as to taxes or assessments authorized by law to be included on the County of Butte property tax roll and collected simultaneously with property taxes.

(Res. No. 81 68-69, Measure D, Passed 4-8-69; Assembly Concurrent Res. No. 163, 1969, Ratified 4-8-69; Measure K, Passed 11-2-04, Filed in Office of Secretary of State 12-9-04)

There are hereby created the general, park, and airport funds and such other funds as may be established by the city council. All monies accruing to such funds shall be used only for the purposes for which such funds are established.

(Res. No. 81 68-69, Measure E, Passed 4-8-69; Assembly Concurrent Res. No. 163, 1969, Ratified 4-8-69; Res. No. 126 80-81 §5 (part), Measure E (part), Passed 4-7-81, Filed in Office of Secretary of State 6-8-81; Res. No. 17 85-86 §l0, Passed 11-5-85, Filed in Office of Secretary of State 3-12-86)

Whenever the council determines that the public interest demands an expenditure for municipal purposes which cannot be provided for out of the ordinary revenues of the city, it may submit to the qualified voters at a regular or special election, a proposition to provide for such expenditure, by levying a special tax, but no such special tax shall be levied unless authorized by the affirmative vote of the electors voting at such an election or as provided by the Constitution of the State of California.

(Res. No. 126 80-81 §6, Measure F, Passed 4-7-81, Filed in Office of Secretary of State 6-8-81, Measure L (part), Passed 11-2-04, Filed in Office of Secretary of State 12-9-04)

The council shall have the power to cause to be issued revenue bonds for the purpose of financing the acquisition, construction or reconstruction of public or publicly owned improvements of an income-producing character, either pursuant to the provisions of a procedural ordinance duly and regularly adopted by the council, or pursuant to the provisions of any general law of the State of California. If a procedural ordinance is adopted by the city it may, by reference, include therein any or all of the provisions of any one or more General Law Revenue Bond Acts or Assessment District Acts of the State of California.

The city shall not incur an indebtedness evidenced by general obligation bonds which shall in the aggregate exceed fifteen (15) percent of the total assessed valuation, for purpose of city taxation, of all the real and personal property within the city.

At the beginning of each fiscal year, the council shall engage an independent certified public accountant, or public accountant licensed by the State Board of Accountancy, to act as auditor for the city, such engagement to be at the pleasure of the council. The auditor shall perform an annual audit of the books, financial records and related documents of the city in accordance with generally accepted auditing standards. On or prior to the first regular city council meeting in February of each year, unless an extension is granted by the council, the auditor shall submit to the council a report on the audit for the preceding fiscal year in such detail as the council may direct.

In addition to the regular annual audit, the auditor shall perform such other professional services as the council may require.

(Assembly Concurrent Res. No. 105, Ch. 71, 1973; Res. 126 80-81 §7 (part), Measure G (part), Passed 4-7- 81, Filed in Office of Secretary of State 6-8-81; Res. No. 146 95-96 §1, Measure M, Passed 11-5-96, Filed in Office of Secretary of State 12-19-96)

City contracts which provide for the construction of a public works project, exclusive of maintenance and repair work, shall be competitively bid whenever the estimated cost of such public works project is equal to or exceeds the cost of a public works project required to be competitively bid under the general laws of the state of California applicable to public works contracts. Notice of intention to receive proposals shall be posted at least two weeks before the date of opening of the bids on the city's website, and it shall be posted in at least one public place in the city that has been designated for the posting of public notices; however, the council may designate a different method of notice by ordinance subject to the following conditions: (1) such ordinance shall provide for notice at least two weeks before the date of opening of the bids; and (2) such ordinance shall require notice to be posted in at least one public place in the city that has been designated for the posting of public notices. Such notice may give a description of the work to be done or may refer to plans and specifications on file in such office as may be specified in such notice. Should the bids received be deemed excessive or unsatisfactory, for any reason, or should no bids be received, the council, board or commission letting the contract may, by a majority vote of all its members, provide for the work to be done by the city manager.

(Assembly Concurrent Res. No. 105, Ch. 71, 1973; Res. No. 111 89-90 §5, Passed 6-5-90, Filed in Office of Secretary of State 10-4-90; Res. No. 71-16 , Passed 11-8-16)

All contracts shall be in writing, approved by the city attorney, and executed in the name of the city by an officer or officers authorized to sign the same.

The formation, regulation and administration of contracts for public works is a municipal affair. This Charter and ordinances and resolutions adopted pursuant to it provide the basis of all contracts for or relating to public works to be designed, erected, constructed, installed, repaired, altered, improved, operated or maintained by the city. The general laws of the state shall not be deemed or construed to apply to any public works or contract for public works, including but not limited to the bidding or letting, terms and conditions, plans and specifications, or manner of administration of such contracts. However, the city may invoke, adopt, or incorporate by reference, in any ordinance, resolution, contract or plans and specifications for a public work, or relating to public works generally, all or part of any provision of the general laws of the state, including all or part of the Public Contract Code. (Measure L (part), Passed 11-2-04, Filed in Office of Secretary of State 12-9-04)

The city council shall adopt, by ordinance, policies and procedures governing centralized purchases of supplies and equipment for and by all city departments, boards, commissions, offices and agencies. Measure L (part), Passed 11-2-04, Filed in Office of Secretary of State 12-9-04)

The council shall annually let contracts for publication of legal notices and official advertisements for the ensuing fiscal year. For this purpose the city clerk shall notify by mail each newspaper of general circulation in the city, as defined by California Government Code Section 6008, that sealed bids for such publications are to be received setting forth the details of the publications contemplated to be done. Each bidder shall include with its bid a verifiable statement of both net paid circulation and net unpaid circulation of its newspaper within the city. The council may accept more than one bid for these publications in any year and the city may then utilize one or more of these approved newspapers for any such publications.

In determining which bids are lowest and best, the council shall take into consideration the circulation, publication rates, and frequency of publication.

The council shall not accept any bid at a rate higher than that regularly charged by such bidding newspaper for the same or similar publications or advertising from other customers and may reject any and all bids.

The council may, if no acceptable bid is received, adopt any other legal method for legal publications.

If there is only one newspaper of general circulation in the City, the council may contract with it without advertising for bids.

(Res. No. 75 76-77 §1, Measure E (part), Passed 3-8-77, Filed in Office of Secretary of State 5-2-77; Measure L (part), Passed 11-2-04, Filed in Office of Secretary of State 12-9-04; Res. No. 71-16 , Passed 11-8-16)

The city council shall adopt, by ordinance, procedures for the presentation of contract and tort claims for money or damages as prerequisite to suit against the city, its boards, commissions, agencies or departments and its elected officials as well as its officers, employees, or agents.