§ 9-6. Council Action on Budget.

(a)

A public hearing on the proposed budget shall be held by the Council on any date at least fifteen days prior to the final day established by law for the certification of the ensuing year's tax levy to the county. Notice of the time and place of such hearing shall be published in a newspaper having general circulation in the Town one time at least five days prior to the hearing.

(b)

After the public hearing, the Council may adopt the budget with or without amendment. In amending the budget, it may add or increase programs or amounts and may delete or decrease any programs or amounts, except expenditures required by law or for debt service or for estimated cash deficit, provided that no amendment to the budget shall increase the authorized expenditures to any amount greater than the total of estimated revenue.

(c)

The Council shall adopt the budget by ordinance on or before the final day established by law for the certification of the ensuing year's tax levy to the county. If it fails to adopt the budget by that date, the amounts appropriated for the current operation for the current fiscal year shall be deemed adopted for the ensuing fiscal year on a month-to-month basis, with all items in it pro-rated accordingly, until such time as the Council adopts the budget for the ensuing fiscal year.

(d)

Adoption of the budget constitutes appropriations of the amounts specified therein as expenditures from the funds indicated and constitutes a levy of the property tax therein proposed.