Finance Department

Burlington City Charter subpt. A, tit. VI, art. 56

in effect

Burlington City Charter § 154 Composition.

154 Composition. The board of finance shall be constituted as follows: The mayor shall, ex officio, be chairman of said board and together with the president of the city council and three additional members of the city council who shall be elected at the first meeting of the city council in April of each year and who shall serve a term of one year from the date of their election shall constitute said board of finance. In addition, the chief administrative officer shall serve as a nonvoting member of said board. All of the additional three members elected from the city council may not be members of the same political party. The members of said board shall be trustees of public moneys for the city and shall have the powers and perform all the duties of similar officers in towns of this state; provided, however, that they shall make no investment or reinvestment of any of the cemetery endowment funds of the city without first obtaining the written approval thereof by a majority of the board of cemetery commissioners. The clerk/treasurer’s office shall provide staff assistance for said board. In the absence or disability of the mayor, the chief administrative officer shall sit as a voting member. (Act No. M-4, § 2, approved 4-4-2011)

Burlington City Charter § 155 Board to act as board of audit; uniform system to be adopted.

155 Board to act as board of audit; uniform system to be adopted. The board of finance shall act as a board of audit. They shall establish, and each department shall adopt, such systems of accounting and auditing for each department of the city government, as will give uniform and reliable methods for transacting the business of the city.

Burlington City Charter § 156 Monthly reports; annual audit.

156 Monthly reports; annual audit. The board of finance shall provide for regular monthly reports to be made by each department to the city council; they shall also provide for the annual auditing of the books of each department, by a competent professional auditor, and may also provide for such further auditing as shall to said board seem advisable.

Burlington City Charter § 157 Preparation and submission of budget.

157 Preparation and submission of budget. The mayor shall, with the assistance of the other members of the board of finance, annually prepare an estimate of the necessary appropriations to cover the expenses of each department and branch of the city government for the next fiscal year, to be known as the "budget," and shall submit said "budget" to the city council for its guidance and action in making the annual appropriations and the tax levy for such next fiscal year. The mayor shall submit the "budget" to the city council on or before June 15 of each year and the city council shall make the annual appropriations and the tax levy no later than June 30 of each year. The city council may reduce the items of such budget, but shall not increase them except by two-thirds vote of said city council. Wherever any appropriation, annual or otherwise, shall be made to any department or branch of the city government, for any specified purpose, no part of such appropriation shall be expended for any purpose other than the one specified, unless authorized by resolution of the city council or by written permission of the board of finance. Nothing herein contained shall authorize the board of finance to transfer any appropriation, or any part of any appropriation, from one department or branch of the city government to another.

Burlington City Charter § 158 Sinking fund established.

158 Sinking fund established. The general sinking fund of the city, so-called, is hereby abolished and all moneys or funds currently deposited in such sinking fund shall be appropriated in accordance with the requirements of sections 65 and 157 of this Charter.

Burlington City Charter § 159 Selection of official depositary.

159 Selection of official depositary. The board of finance shall, in the month of June, 1994, and not less frequently than once every three years thereafter, procure from chartered banks of known reliability and sufficient capital their offers to act as depositary for the city moneys, or for specified portions thereof, and the terms upon which they will receive such moneys, and also the terms upon which they will furnish money upon such temporary and emergency loans to the city, or specified portions thereof, as the city council from time to time may authorize. They shall by vote determine which of said offers, if any, they accept, and appoint such bank or banks whose offer or offers are accepted, as depositary or depositaries of such moneys, or any portion thereof, to which any offer relates, as to them shall appear to be for the best interests of the city.

Burlington City Charter § 160 Care and control of public buildings.

160 Care and control of public buildings. The board of finance shall also have the care and control of all public buildings not specifically in charge of any other department of the city under this chapter or ordinance or resolution of the city council. They shall appoint or employ such persons as may be required for the proper care of the buildings, and may prescribe their salaries and fix their duties.

Burlington City Charter § 161 Repairs to public buildings.

161 Repairs to public buildings. The board of finance may cause such repairs or enlargements to be made to said buildings from time to time as the interests of the city may require; provided, however, that when the estimated cost of any such repairs or enlargements exceeds the amount of money appropriated by the city council to the public buildings account in any fiscal year, they shall make report thereon to the city council for their approval before any expenditure shall be made for such purpose, and shall in April and October of each year report the condition of said buildings to the city council.

Burlington City Charter § 162 Board authorized to rent portions of public buildings.

162 Board authorized to rent portions of public buildings. The board of finance may rent such portion of the public buildings to such public officers or private persons as to them shall seem for the best interests of the city; provided, however, that rentals for a period of more than one week shall require the approval of the city council.

Source: City of Burlington, Vermont, Code of Ordinances and City Charter (General Code's codepublishing.com/VT/Burlington)URL: https://www.codepublishing.com/VT/Burlington/html/BurlingtonCH/BurlingtonCH06.html#d56Fetched: 11/8/2026