FROSTBURG – The city of Frostburg has begun the laborious, time-consuming process of crafting a budget for the fiscal year that begins July 1, releasing a budget-preparation schedule that provides for four months of formulation and deliberation of the new spending plan.
The process began with a Jan. 10 work session in which the schedule was discussed, followed by the release of the budget process outline on Jan. 19.
The next significant date is Feb. 10, when the various department heads in city government must submit funding requests to the Finance Commissioner.
On Feb. 14, the Mayor and City Council will discuss the departmental requests at a public work session. Also slated for that meeting's agenda is discussion of tax and utility rates.
The process continues with a March 13 work session, when Council will review and discuss the first formulation of the city's Draft Budget. Additional discussion is also scheduled for tax and utility rates, base on the spending figures in the Draft Budget. The work session, like all others, is open to the public.
The Draft Budget for fiscal year 2013 will be formally presented to the public at the March 15 City Council meeting, when public comment on the spending plan will be accepted.
On April 10, the Council will review and discuss the budget ordinance, which implements the spending plan.
The April 19 City Council meeting will include a public hearing on the Constant Yield Tax Rate, as well as introduction of the Budget Ordinance, with public comment.
The May 8 work session will feature a final review of the budget ordinance, as well as discussion of possible amendments to the ordinance.
Finally, the City Council at its May 18 monthly meeting will conduct a public hearing on the Budget Ordinance, followed by a second reading and formal approval of the fiscal year 2013 spending plan.