[Adopted 6-7-1993 ATM, Art. 5 (Article XIX of the 1993
General Bylaws)]
A.
There shall be a Finance Committee consisting of 15 registered voters of the Town of Rockland who shall be appointed by the Moderator for a term of three years in such a manner that 1/3 of said Finance Committee shall be appointed annually, said appointments being made as soon as practicable after the conclusion of each year's Annual Town Meeting. (Charter § C-6.04A)
B.
The Finance Committee shall choose its own officers and shall serve without compensation, except the Secretary, who shall be paid an annual salary as determined by the Annual Town Meeting. (Charter § C-6.04F)
C.
In the event that any member of the Finance Committee shall resign during his term of office, he shall not be eligible for reappointment to the Finance Committee until the expiration of one-year from the date of such resignation. (Charter § C-6.04B)
D.
No person shall serve as a member of the Finance Committee who holds any Town position by reason of election or appointment. However, a member or members of the Finance Committee may serve on special committees established by vote of Town Meeting if such vote requires that a member or members of the Finance Committee be named to said special committee. (Charter § C-6.04C)
E.
Any member of the Finance Committee who shall become a candidate for elected office in the Town shall ipso facto be disqualified from continuing to serve as a member of the Finance Committee. (Charter § C-6.04C)
F.
Whenever any vacancy shall occur in the Finance Committee
it shall be filled by the Moderator. If any member is absent from
five consecutive meetings of the committee, for cause other than illness,
his position shall be deemed vacant and the committee shall report
such vacancy to the Moderator, who shall proceed to fill the same.
Any person chosen to fill a vacancy in the committee shall hold office
for the unexpired term of the person whom he succeeds.
A.
There shall be referred to and considered by the Finance Committee all articles in any Town Meeting Warrant. A public hearing may be held upon any article, and a notice given either by publishing the same in a newspaper published or circulated in Rockland as a local newspaper or by posting a copy thereof in at least three public places in the Town at least five days before said hearing. The Committee shall complete its report on the Warrant for the Annual Town Meeting in time to comply with the provisions of Chapter 148, Town Meetings, § 148-1E, and for any Special Town Meeting it shall post its report in the Town Office seven days at least before the meeting and it may also report in print, as for an Annual Town Meeting, such recommendations on each article as it deems best for the interests of the Town.
B.
All Town officers and committees shall submit their
estimates and requests for appropriations to the Finance Committee
in due time for compliance with these bylaws and no appropriation
shall be made by the Town until the Finance Committee has reported
thereon.
C.
The Finance Committee shall consider the budget as submitted to it by the Selectmen, and shall give its opinions as to each budgetary item together with an explanation of said opinion. The Selectmen shall cause the opinion of the Finance Committee to be included in appropriate places in the Warrant. The Finance Committee may hold hearings and take any other action necessary to discharge its duties hereunder. No appropriation shall be made at a Town Meeting until the Finance Committee has reported thereon. The Finance Committee shall endeavor to complete its duties and make its report within such time as to allow the Warrant to be printed and distributed by the Selectmen in accordance with the terms of the Charter and bylaws. (Charter § C-6.04D)
D.
The Finance Committee shall consider the annual estimates and other requests for expenditures as prepared by the Department Heads of the Town, and in the printed copy of the warrant for the Annual Town Meeting, provided for in Chapter 148, Town Meetings, § 148-3B of these bylaws, it shall add another column to the prepared statement giving the amounts which, in its opinion, should be appropriated for the ensuing year, and shall add thereto such explanations and suggestions as it deems expedient, and the time and manner of reporting thereon shall be the same as provided in Subsection A of this section.
