§ 354. Preparation and filing of tentative budget. 1. The budget
officer, upon receipt of the estimates of the various administrative
units and the requests for an appropriation of the several authorized
agencies, shall proceed to make such review and investigation of such
estimates and requests and conduct such hearings of heads of
administrative units and authorized agencies, and officers and employees
thereof, as he deems necessary. He may require the head of any
administrative unit or authorized agency, or any officer or employee
thereof, to furnish data and information and to answer inquiries
pertinent to such review or investigation. Members of the committee of
the board of supervisors designated or created to review the tentative
budget shall be entitled to investigate and make inquiry concerning the
estimate of any administrative unit or the request for an appropriation
of any authorized agency. Such members shall be entitled to attend all
hearings conducted by the budget officer pursuant to this subdivision.
At least twenty-four hours' written notice of any such hearing shall be
given to such members by the budget officer, either personally or by
mail.

2. Upon the completion of the review and investigation of the
estimates of the various administrative units and the requests for an
appropriation of the several authorized agencies, the budget officer
shall prepare a tentative budget, accompanied by a budget message where
required pursuant to section three hundred seventy-four. He shall cause
to be printed or otherwise reproduced such number of copies of such
tentative budget and such budget message, if any, as the board of
supervisors shall direct. The tentative budget and the budget message,
if any, together with the copies thereof, shall be filed by the budget
officer with the clerk of the board of supervisors not later than the
fifteenth day of November.

3. The board of supervisors by action taken pursuant to section three
hundred seventy-six may require that the budget officer file the
tentative budget and budget message, if any, with the clerk of the board
of supervisors on or before a specified date prior to the date
prescribed in subdivision two of this section, provided that in no event
shall such filing be required to be made prior to the first day of
October. A local law adopted pursuant to this subdivision shall not
become effective until August first next succeeding its adoption.