§ 10-112.32. Duties and Responsibilities.

(a)

The Spending Affordability Committee shall make recommendations to the County Council concerning:

(1)

Spending affordability of the Commission;

(2)

Ways to improve the budgetary procedures at the Commission level and at the Council level; and

(3)

Other related areas upon request of the County Council or the County Executive.

(b)

On or before August 31 of each year, the Committee shall submit to the County Council and the County Executive a preliminary report recommending spending levels for each of the Commission tax supported operating funds and guidelines for the Commission's capital budget. Spending levels shall be consistent with the capacity of the tax base and other revenue sources available to the Commission to finance its programs and its long-term debt. A copy of this report shall be filed with the Clerk of the Council and shall be made available for public inspection. The Committee shall also review and comment upon any revised revenue estimate based upon revisions in the assessable base provided by the State Department of Assessments and Taxation.

(1)

The report shall provide recommendations for the following spending affordability guidelines:

(A)

A ceiling on total appropriations in the forthcoming fiscal year;

(B)

Debt service;

(C)

Appropriate reserves for each of the funds; and

(D)

The establishment of tax rates necessary to support each of the appropriations referred to in Subsection (b)(1)(A) and such other matters that are relevant to the preparation of the Commission's budget.

(c)

On or before December 4 of each year, the Committee shall submit to the County Council a final report on spending affordability guidelines for the proposed capital and operating budgets for the forthcoming fiscal year as required by Subsection (b). This report shall contain the Committee's final recommendations concerning spending affordability guidelines and shall, in estimating revenues, utilize the most recent assessable base information. A copy of this report shall be filed with the Clerk of the Council and be made available for public inspection. In developing spending affordability guidelines, the Committee shall consider, where applicable, the factors utilized by the County Spending Affordability Committee as set forth in Section 10-112.22 of the Code.

(d)

In approving the Commission's capital and operating budgets, the County Council shall consider the Spending Affordability Committee's recommendations. If the proposed budgets exceed any of the recommended affordability guidelines, the Council must explain in writing the justification for exceeding any of the recommendations before enacting the Commission's budgets and levying tax rates required to support them.

(CB-4-2001)