Sec. 5-4. - Budget message.

(1)

The budget message submitted by the Mayor to the Council shall be explanatory of the budget, shall contain an outline of the proposed financial policies of the City for the budget year and shall describe in connection therewith the important features of the budget plan. It shall set forth the reasons for salient changes from the previous year in cost and revenue items and shall explain any major changes in financial policy.

(2)

As a part of the budget message, with relation to the proposed expenditures for capital projects stated in the budget, the Mayor shall include a statement of pending capital projects and proposed new capital projects, relating the respective amounts proposed to be raised therefor by appropriations in the budget and the respective amounts, if any, proposed to be raised therefor by the issuance of bonds during the budget year.

(3)

The Mayor shall also include in the message, or attach thereto, a capital program of proposed capital projects for the five (5) fiscal years next succeeding the budget year, prepared by the planning board, together with his or her comments thereon and any estimates of costs prepared by the department of public works or other office, department or agency. For the use of the planning board in preparing such capital program, copies of the departmental estimates of capital projects, filed with the Mayor pursuant to section 3 of this article, shall be filed with the board.

(4)

Attached to the budget message shall be such supporting schedules, exhibits and other explanatory material, in respect to both current operations and capital improvements, as the Mayor shall believe useful to the Council.