§1311.  Budgetary authority and control

A.  The adopted budget and any duly authorized adopted amendments shall form the framework from which the chief executive or administrative officers and members of the governing authority of the political subdivision shall monitor revenues and control expenditures.  The chief executive or administrative officer for a political subdivision subject to public participation as provided in R.S. 39:1307 shall advise the governing authority or independently elected official in writing when:

(1)  Total revenue and other sources plus projected revenue and other sources for the remainder of the year, within a fund, are failing to meet total budgeted revenues and other sources by five percent or more.

(2)  Total actual expenditures and other uses plus projected expenditures and other uses for the remainder of the year, within a fund, are exceeding the total budgeted expenditures and other uses by five percent or more.

(3)  Actual beginning fund balance, within a fund, fails to meet estimated beginning fund balance by five percent or more and fund balance is being used to fund current year expenditures.

B.  The written notification as required by this Section as well as any responsive action taken by the governing authority or independently elected official shall be transmitted to and retained by the chief executive or administrative officer.  The written notification as required by this Section and the resulting budget amendment shall only be statutorily required for a special revenue fund with anticipated expenditures that equal or exceed five hundred thousand dollars.  Furthermore, only the written notification of Paragraph (A)(2) of this Section shall be required for special revenue funds whose revenues are expenditure driven.

C.  The adopted budget and any duly authorized amendments required by this Section shall constitute the authority of the chief executive or administrative officers of the political subdivision to incur liabilities and authorize expenditures from the respective budgeted funds during the fiscal year.

D.  Nothing in this Chapter shall prevent the making of contracts for governmental services or for the capital outlay for a period exceeding one year if such contracts are allowed otherwise by law.  Any contracts so made shall be executory only for the amounts agreed to be paid for such services to be rendered in succeeding years.

E.  Notwithstanding any provision of this Section to the contrary, the elected chief of police in a municipality shall advise the municipal governing authority in writing when total actual expenditures plus projected expenditures for the remainder of the year within the police department exceed the total budgeted expenditures by five percent or more, and shall make recommendations in writing to the governing authority for responsive action.

Added by Acts 1980, No. 504, §1, eff. Sept. 1, 1980.  Amended by Acts 1981, No. 474, §1; Acts 1982, No. 475, §1.  Acts 1984, No. 186, §2; Acts 1999, No. 775, §2, eff. July 2, 1999; Acts 2004, No. 552, §1, eff. June 25, 2004; Acts 2006, No. 363, §1.