16-697.

Park fund or park and recreation fund; annual levy; audit of accounts; warrants; contracts; reports.

(1) For the purpose of (a) providing funds for amusements and recreation, (b) providing funds for laying out, purchasing, improving, and beautifying parks and public grounds, and (c) providing for the payment of the salaries and wages of employees of the board of park commissioners or the board of park and recreation commissioners, the mayor and city council of a city of the first class shall, each year at the time of making the levy for general city purposes, make a levy upon the taxable value of all the taxable property in such city. Such levy shall be collected and paid into the city treasury and shall constitute the park fund or park and recreation fund as the case may be.

(2) All accounts against the park fund or park and recreation fund of such city, provided for by subsection (1) of this section, for salaries and wages of the employees and all other expenses of such parks or recreational facilities shall be audited and allowed by the park or park and recreation commissioners. All warrants thereon shall be drawn only by the chairperson of the commissioners. Warrants so drawn shall be paid by the city treasurer out of such fund.

(3) The park or park and recreation commissioners of such city, as the case may be, shall enter into any contracts of any nature involving an expenditure in accordance with the policies of the city council.

(4) The chairperson of the board of park or park and recreation commissioners shall, on January 1 and July 1 of each year, file with the city clerk an itemized statement of all the expenditures of the board.