Seattle Police Manual

1.020 - Budget

Effective Date: 6/30/2003

I.    General - Budget Control

A.    The yearly budget approved by the City Council is our basic operational plan, defining maximum levels of effort within activity categories and allowing certain specific expenditures for equipment, supplies, etc.  Each Captain or above, or their designee shall be responsible for formulating goals, objectives, and other performance measures that are relevant to their assignment as a part of this plan.  Captains are responsible for adhering to that plan or, alternatively, developing a new plan within available resources for approval by the Chief of Police (via the Finance, Strategic Policy, and Planning Section), Department of Finance, and the City Council.  Only expenditures so authorized will be allowed.

B.    Section and Bureau Chiefs shall distribute the stated goals, objectives and performance measures to all affected personnel.

II.   Expenditures as Authorized in the Budget

A.    The Revised Code of Washington (RCW) Chapter 35.32A, is the governing policy for budgets of first class cities, which includes Seattle.

1.    Procedure

a.    Of the four classifications of the budget, the Personnel Services Unit deals primarily with the money for salaries and personnel benefits.  Any increase in personnel allocations, or creation of new positions will be requested by section Captains through their bureau chiefs and the Finance, Strategic Policy, and Planning Section, with final approval by the Chief of Police or the Deputy Chief of Administration.

b.    In general, supplies shall be requested using the Purchase Order (1.5E) System. These requests require the approval of the requesting unit’s chain of command, with final approval from the Deputy Chief of Administration.  Prior to placing an order with outside vendors for supplies, equipment and services, the purchase order request must be approved through the entire chain of command. Normally, within five days of receipt of the approved purchase order, Fiscal will issue a Purchase Order Number to authorize the purchase.

c.    In addition to approval via the chain of command, requests for all technology purchases must also be approved by the Information Technology Section Manager. 

d.    All requests for transfer of budget authority must be forwarded to the Finance, Strategic Policy, and Planning Section, which will coordinate review and approval with the Fiscal, Property and Fleet Management Section, the Chief of Police/Deputy Chief of Administration, and the City Department of Finance.

2.    RCW 35.32.000 prohibits the obligation of public funds by any personnel other than those authorized to disperse funds for the City. 

a.    In the event that an employee orders or purchases a product(s) or service(s) without prior authorization and at a later date submits a bill, the employee has no claim whatsoever for reimbursement.

III.  Procedure for Expenditures Not Previously Authorized in the Budget

A.    The requester must prepare a suggested addendum to the budget, defining the new object of expenditure, authorized spending to be abandoned, and justification for the change.  Any impact on planned objectives, productivity, level of effort, and deferred costs or needs must be clearly identified.

B.    Approval must be obtained from the chain of command to the Bureau Chief.

C.    All requests for budget authorization changes to an approved line item, account category, or budget organization category must be forwarded to the Finance, Strategic Policy, and Planning Section for review/approval coordination with the Chief of Police/Deputy Chief of Administration, and if required, the Department of Finance.

D.    Once a budget change/transfer is approved, follow the procedure outlined for Expenditure as Authorized in the Budget.

IV.   Grant Expenditures

A.    Overview

1.    Grant proposals in which the Seattle Police Department is principally involved are normally prepared by Department personnel and must be approved by the Chief of Police/Deputy Chief of Administration prior to submittal to the Mayor.  All requests for grants are to be forwarded for preparation to the Research and Grants Unit.  After preparing the grant application, the Research and  Grants Unit will submit it for approval to the Mayor and City Council via the Finance, Strategic Policy, and Planning Section.  The Finance, Strategic Policy, and Planning Section will write any required resolution to make an application for a grant and will write ordinances requesting Mayor/Council approval of funding acceptance.

2.    Upon the Mayor’s review and the City Council’s adoption of the acceptance of grant funding, expenditures can be made in the amounts which will be reimbursed through grant assistance.

3.    As a grant project progresses, related obligations are created against the money the City has appropriated.  Over the duration of the project (normally one year), financial reports are submitted to the funding agency documenting all obligations occurring to the date of the report.  The City is then reimbursed for those expenses it has incurred which, according to the grant proposal’s budget, are to be supported by grant moneys.

4.    During the course of the project, should situations develop which necessitate expenditures for anything not originally specified in the proposed budget, prior approval must be obtained from the funding agency if either reimbursement or credit for a matching expenditure is sought. 

a.    This will always entail a realignment of the grants budget, since once the grant project’s contract is signed, the overall level of local matching expenditures and grant award will not change.

B.    Responsibilities

1.    It is the responsibility of the Project Director of a grant to:

a.    Assure that their expenditures conform to their budget and the stated objectives of the project, and

b.    To submit progress reports as required.

2.    The Fiscal, Property and Fleet Management Section shall be responsible for:

a.    Documenting the budget activity of the grant project,

b.    The submittal of timely financial reports to the funding agency, and

c.    The retention of those financial records necessary to meet and satisfy audit requirements.