Budget Committee

Charter Provision

View the Budget Committee Charter Provision (PDF).

Article III. Financial Provisions of the Town

Section 3. Budget committee (excerpted). There shall be a budget committee consisting of five members who shall be appointed by the town council….terms will be for three years.….The committee shall hold a regular quarterly meeting and such other meetings as it shall deem necessary to accomplish its' purposes…. (Amend. of 11-7-89, § 2; Amend. of 11-2-93; Amend. of November 2, 2010; Amend. of November 4, 2014)

Section 4. Budget process and format. The budget shall be prepared in accordance with the provisions of Article VIII of the home rule charter. (Amend. of 11-7-89, § 2)

Section 5. Submission of budget to the council. No later than the first Monday in June of each year, the budget committee shall cause copies of the budget recommendations to be delivered to each member of the town council and shall file one copy with the town clerk to be available for public inspection. Recommendations shall include an estimate of funds on hand and obligations pending as of the beginning of the new fiscal year, estimates of revenue anticipated together with its' revenue and tax proposals, recommended expenditures divided into an operating budget and capital budget and such supporting explanations and information as it may deem appropriate or the council shall have requested. In preparing the budget, the budget committee shall have the authority in consultation with the town administrator to alter the estimates submitted as it shall see fit. (Amend. of 11-7-89, § 2; Amend. of 11-2-93; Amend. of November 2, 2010; Amend. of November 4, 2014)

Section 6. Capital budget consideration. All capital budget requests shall be submitted to the planning board by the second Monday in January. The planning board (or the town planner as its' designee) shall make its' recommendation to the budget committee by March 1st. (Amend. of 11-7-89, § 2; Amend. of 11-2-93; Amend. of November 2, 2010)

Article VIII. The Budget

Section 3. Preparation of the budget. (excerpted) The town administrator shall annually assemble the budget requests of all departments and agencies. He shall receive from the head of each department and agency, including any private corporation which receives all or a substantial portion of its' funding from the town, an estimate of the amount necessary to carry on its' work during the coming year. These estimates accompanied by a statement of recommendations from the town administrator shall be presented to the budget committee by the second Monday in March. The budget committee shall prepare its' budget recommendations for submission to the town council pursuant to Article III of the town charter…. it shall investigate the recommendations of the various departmental budget requests, including the budget requests of the school committee and may request the director of finance with the head of any of the departments and the head of any other board, office or agency supported wholly or in part by town funds to explain their estimates and recommendations. In preparing the budget, the budget committee may confer with the town council and may hold one or more public hearings in preparing the budget at which department heads and/or their designee and those requesting funds shall be in attendance. The budget committee shall present a budget message of explanation to accompany their budget recommendations to the town council pursuant to Article III of the town charter.

The Budget Committee may be assigned additional tasks by the Town Council such as: overseeing the development of pro-forma statements by department, monitoring department budgets during the fiscal year, reviewing fiscal impact statements, reviewing audit reports, offering recommendations which could result in savings and investigating financial practices and policies of other communities which if implemented could benefit the Town. (Amend. of 11-7-89, § 4; Amend. of 11-2-93; Amend. of November 2, 2010; Amend. of November 4, 2014)

Section 6. Submission of budget.

The budget committee shall submit its' printed report comprising the budget and budget message to the town council and shall make its' recommendations for expenditures and for taxes or other revenues which will be necessary to pay such expenses. (Amend. of 11-7-89, § 4)

Section 9. Budget Committee Review Required for all negotiated Union Contracts.

After preliminary agreement between the Administration and any Union or the School Department and any Union and prior to the Contract going in front of the Town Council for a ratification vote, the Budget Committee will review all negotiated union contracts and verify the Administration's or School Department's calculations as to the increased costs and/or burdens (or the decreased costs and/or benefits, if applicable) and report their findings to the Town Council in written format at least one week in advance of a Public Hearing on the proposed union contract. (Amend. of November 4, 2014)