City of Bowie Budget
Proposed Budget for Fiscal Year Beginning July 2011
and Capital Improvement Program
The Finance Department prepares the City's Annual Budget and Capital Improvements Program and Comprehensive Annual Financial Report. The City Manager's Proposed Budget must be submitted to Council between the 10th and 15th of April.
The City Council holds a series of meetings, worksessions and public hearings to discuss the budget. Citizens are encouraged to become involved in the budget process by attending the worksessions and addressing their comments to Council at the public hearings.
During the course of that review, staff is sometimes asked to provide additional information to the Council. Staff responds in writing to these requests via Budget Follow-up Memoranda. They are listed below:
Budget Follow-up Memo #1 - April 14, 2010
Budget Follow-up Memo #2 - April 19, 2010
Budget Follow-up Memo #3 - April 21, 2010
Budget Follow-up Memo #4 - April 27, 2010
Budget Follow-up Memo #5 - May 6, 2010
Budget Development
| NOVEMBER | Staff meets with Council for a pre-budget roundtable discussion of factors that may affect the ensuing budget cycle, such as economic climate, revenue outlook, community expectations and program requirements. |
| DECEMBER | Staff begins planning recommendations for the Capital Improvement Program. |
| JANUARY | Staff begins developing goals for the coming year and estimating costs for operating budget recommendations. |
| FEBRUARY | City Manager meets with department heads to analyze new projects, evaluate progress on continuing projects, determine operating cost requirements and set priorities. |
| MARCH | Finance Department makes revenue projections, prepares summaries, edits and assembles the Proposed Budget. |
| APRIL | City Manager submits the Proposed Budget and Capital Improvements Program to City Council between April 10th and April 15th as required by the City Charter. The Proposed Budget document is made available and widely distributed to citizens. |
| APRIL-MAY | City Council holds budget worksessions and one or more public hearings, all of which are televised and open to the public. Citizens are invited to share their thoughts at the public hearings. |
| MAY | The Annual Budget Ordinance and the Capital Improvement Program Resolution are adopted as proposed or amended by Council, at a regular meeting in May. |
| JULY 1 | The Adopted Budget becomes the legal authority to levy taxes and expend funds. |
| BUDGET AMENDMENTS | A budget amendment to transfer funds between appropriations within the same fund must be approved by the City Council as a Council Resolution. The City Manager typically proposes one transfer resolution late in the fiscal year. A budget amendment which would increase total appropriations in any fund must be adopted by the City Council as a Supplemental Budget Ordinance. |
The Capital Improvements Program is a six-year plan of proposed capital improvements and proposed methods of financing them. This six-year plan is the basis for estimating specific revenues and expenditures which will become part of the annual operating budget.
| 301-809-3025 or 301-262-6200 TTY:301-262-5013 |
Office Hours: Monday - Friday 8:30 a.m. - 5 p.m. |
