PDFRCW 35A.33.120
Funds—Limitations on expenditures—Transfers and adjustments.
The expenditures as classified and itemized in the final budget shall constitute the city's appropriations for the ensuing fiscal year. Unless otherwise ordered by a court of competent jurisdiction, and subject to further limitations imposed by ordinance of the code city, the expenditure of city funds or the incurring of current liabilities on behalf of the city shall be limited to the following:
(1) The total amount appropriated for each fund in the budget for the current fiscal year, without regard to the individual items contained therein, except that this limitation shall not apply to wage adjustments authorized by RCW 35A.33.105; and
(2) The unexpended appropriation balances of a preceding budget which may be carried forward from prior fiscal years pursuant to RCW 35A.33.150; and
(3) Funds received from the sale of bonds or warrants which have been duly authorized according to law; and
(4) Funds received in excess of estimated revenues during the current fiscal year, when authorized by an ordinance amending the original budget; and
(5) Expenditures required for emergencies, as authorized in RCW 35A.33.080 and 35A.33.090.
Transfers between individual appropriations within any one fund may be made during the current fiscal year by order of the city's chief administrative officer subject to such regulations, if any, as may be imposed by the city council. Notwithstanding the provisions of RCW 43.09.210 or of any statute to the contrary, transfers, as herein authorized, may be made within the same fund regardless of the various offices, departments or divisions of the city which may be affected.
The city council, upon a finding that it is to the best interests of the code city to decrease, revoke or recall all or any portion of the total appropriations provided for any one fund, may, by ordinance, approved by the vote of one more than the majority of all members thereof, stating the facts and findings for doing so, decrease, revoke or recall all or any portion of an unexpended fund balance, and by said ordinance, or a subsequent ordinance adopted by a like majority, the moneys thus released may be reappropriated for another purpose or purposes, without limitation to department, division or fund, unless the use of such moneys is otherwise restricted by law, charter, or ordinance.