Town of Newbury, MA Chapter 11 Finance Committee

[HISTORY: Adopted by the Annual Town Meeting of the Town of Newbury 3-17-1925 by Art. 15; amended in its entirety by the Annual Town Meeting 4-24-2001 by Art. 11. Subsequent amendments noted where applicable.]

§ 11-1 Committee appointed; terms.

The Board of Selectmen shall, at each Annual Town Meeting, appoint members to a committee of seven (7) registered voters which shall be known as the Finance Committee. Members shall be appointed for three (3) year terms on a staggered basis so that at least two members' terms expire each year. No member of the Finance Committee shall be an elected official, a paid board or committee member, or an employee of the town (except that a person rendering service to the town as an independent contractor and who has been designated a "special municipal employee" under G.L. c. 268A shall not be disqualified from serving on the Finance Committee).

§ 11-2 Effective date; removal of disqualified members; vacancies.

This bylaw shall become effective upon its approval by the Attorney General under G.L. c. 40, § 32. Unless disqualified from service by the provisions of § 11-1, above, any duly appointed member whose term has not expired shall continue in office until the expiration of his/her term. The Board of Selectmen shall remove from the Finance Committee any member disqualified from service by virtue of his/her holding of elective office in the town office or by his/her employment as a town employee or paid committee member. In the event of the death, resignation or disqualification of any of a duly appointed member of the Finance Committee prior to the expiration of his/her term, the Board of Selectmen shall appoint a replacement for the unexpired portion of that person's term in accordance with the preceding section.

§ 11-3 Powers and duties.

It shall be the duty of the Finance Committee to consider all municipal questions affecting the revenue, indebtedness or expenditures of the funds of the town, and for this purpose the Committee shall have access to all books and records of the town, and to make reports and recommendations at each annual town meeting, and particularly with reference to the appropriations to be made for the year next ensuing. They may annually choose their own Chairman, who may call meetings of the Committee whenever he deems it advisable and shall so call meetings whenever requested by a majority of the Committee. The Committee shall confer with all boards, officers and department heads in the town as it deems necessary and appropriate to prepare a proposed budget for the next ensuing year. It shall be the duty of the Finance Committee to consider all articles of the warrant or warrants referred to it which call for the appropriation and/or expenditure of funds, and make report thereon in writing, with the estimates and recommendations for the final action of the town, at the Annual Town Meeting and at any Special Town Meeting, unless otherwise directed by a vote of the town.