The fiscal year of the Town shall begin on the first day of
July and end on the last day of the following June. The fiscal year
shall also constitute the budget and account year.
[Amended 11-2-2004]
There shall be a Budget Board of seven members, appointed by
the Council who shall at the time of their appointment and during
the term of service be qualified electors of the Town. The members
appointed by the Council shall serve for three years for staggered
terms. Vacancies shall be filled by the Council to serve out the remaining
term of the member whose departure created the vacancy. Members shall
be eligible for reappointment. The Board may choose a chairperson
and vice-chairperson from its membership and prescribe its own procedures.
1.
Duties. The Budget Board shall:
a.
Receive and examine all requests for capital and operating expenditures
submitted by the Departments, Commissions, Offices and Agencies of
Town government, including the School Department, and nonprofit organizations
serving the Town of Glocester's residents.
[Amended 12-17-2020 by Res. No. 2020-07]
b.
Hold such hearings as may be necessary to provide the opportunity
for all Department Heads, Town Officials and Agencies submitting estimates
to appear before the Board to explain and justify their requests.
The Board shall provide opportunity for any citizen who desires to
do so to address the Board on any pertinent matter consistent with
the procedural rules established by the Board.
c.
Submit to the Council no later than the third Thursday in March its
recommendations regarding all requests for appropriations which have
been submitted for its review together with revenue estimates and
the projected tax levy required to support the budget recommendation.
For budgeting purposes, anticipated revenues shall include: State,
Federal and Department revenues in detail, surplus revenues and the
amount to be raised by taxes.
[Amended 11/4/2014]
1.
All estimates for capital and operating expenditures by Departments,
Commissions, Offices and Agencies of Town government for the ensuing
fiscal year shall be submitted to the Budget Board no later than January
2 in each year.
2.
The Council shall review the recommendations of the Budget Board
and make such changes in the various expenditure requests as it sees
fit; provided, however, that the Council shall not have the authority
to change any item in the School Department expenditure request except
the overall total amount. The budget proposal as presented by the
Budget Board will include separate listings and totals of the capital
and operating appropriations requested respectively; comparisons with
budget and projected expenditures for the current fiscal year, budgeted
and projected revenues for the same; a projected tax rate for the
Town taking into consideration changes in the tax base, a detailed
listing of funds anticipated from the State and Federal government
and other sources; a report of findings and recommendations as the
Budget Board may provide.
3.
The Council shall hold a Public Hearing on its preliminary recommended
budget prior to its adoption, which hearing must be at least 21 days
prior to the Financial Town Referendum Sufficient copies of the budget,
before and after adoption, shall be made available by the Finance
Director for the use of all Offices, Departments and Agencies and
for the use of interested persons.
[Amended 12-17-2020 by Res. No. 2020-07]
4.
The Council shall adopt a recommended budget for presentation to
the Financial Town Referendum not later than 15 days preceding its
date. No revenue from any source other than the tax levy shall be
included in the budget as recommended by the Council unless the facts
clearly warrant the expectation that such amount will be realized
as cash during the fiscal year.
5.
A copy of the budget as finally adopted by Financial Town Referendum
shall be certified by the Town Clerk and filed in the Office of the
Director of Finance. Sufficient copies of the budget, before and after
adoption, shall be made available by the Finance Director for the
use of all Offices, Departments and Agencies and for the use of interested
persons.
[Amended 12-17-2020 by Res. No. 2020-07]
Within three months after the beginning of each fiscal year,
in accordance with State Law, the Council by Resolution shall arrange
for an independent audit of the books, accounts, and other evidences
of financial transactions of the Town and of the School Department
as of the close of the preceding fiscal year, to be conducted either
by State Auditors or by a certified public accountant holding a certificate
from the State and having no personal interest in the financial transactions
of the Town. Such examinations shall conform with generally accepted
auditing standards and shall include all procedures necessary for
the auditors to express an informed opinion of the financial practices
and accounts. A copy of the audit report shall be filed with the Town
Clerk and shall be public record.
[Amended 11/4/2014]
Borrowing in anticipation of taxes shall require the approval
of the Town Council, by Resolution, in accordance with existing State
law.
[Amended 11/4/2014]
In the event that no budget shall have been approved at a Financial
Town Referendum by the start of the fiscal year, the Departments,
Commissions, Offices and Agencies of the Town shall have the authority
to continue making expenditures at the rates authorized in the budget
of the previous fiscal year until such time as a new budget shall
have been adopted. The spending shall be at 1/12 of the previous year's
total budget per month.
[Amended 11/4/2014]
1.
Each Department, including the School Department, shall prepare and
submit to the Budget Board a three-year capital plan as part of the
expenditure request by January 2 prior to the ensuing budget year.
2.
Each capital program shall include:
a.
A clear general summary of its contents.
b.
A list of all capital improvements which are proposed to be undertaken
during the three years next ensuing together with supporting information
as to the necessity for the expenditure.
c.
Cost estimates and suggested methods of financing.
d.
The calendar quarter of the fiscal year the expenditure is expected.
e.
The estimated annual cost for operating and maintaining the facilities
to be constructed or acquired.
The capital program may be revised and extended each year with
regard to capital improvements still pending or in process of construction
or acquisition.
3.
Public Hearing on Capital Program. The Council shall give notice
by one or more methods of general circulation in the Town giving a
general summary of the Capital Program and stating the time and place
where copies of the Capital Programs are available for inspection
by the public, and the time and place, not less than two weeks after
such notice, for a Public Hearing on the Capital Program. The Council
shall adopt the Capital Program with or without amendment after Public
Hearing and not later than 15 days preceding the Financial Town Referendum.
Copies of the Capital Program as adopted shall be public record and
shall be made available to the public in suitable places in Town.
[Amended 11/4/2014]
There shall be an annual addition to the amount appropriated
by the Financial Town Referendum equivalent to 2% of the amount appropriated
as an operating budget approved at the meeting, as a capital reserve
fund. Such appropriation, and the addition of the same to the amount
to be raised by taxation, shall be made by operation of this section
of the Charter, without the necessity of any vote or any other action
by the Town. Such amount and any accumulations shall be held and invested
by the Town Treasurer as a separate fund, and from time to time any
amount from such fund may be expended upon authorization by an annual
or Special Financial Town Referendum for the purchase of improvements
set forth in the Capital Program.
[Amended 11-2000]
There shall be appropriated to the Glocester Land Trust 75%
of the revenue generated from the payment of Real Estate Conveyance
Taxes in the current fiscal year based upon receipts for the prior
fiscal year.
To meet a public emergency affecting life, health, property or the public peace, the Council may make emergency appropriations. Such appropriations may be made by emergency Ordinance in accordance with the provisions of Article IV, § C4-10, Item 5 of this Charter. To the extent that there are not available unappropriated revenues to meet such appropriations, the Council may, by such emergency Ordinance, authorize the issuance of emergency notes, which may be renewed from time to time, but the emergency notes and renewals thereof shall be paid not later than the last day of the fiscal year thereof next succeeding that in which the emergency appropriation was made.
Every appropriation, except an appropriation for a capital expenditure,
shall lapse at the close of a fiscal year to the extent that it has
not been expended or encumbered. An appropriation for a capital expenditure
shall continue in force until the purpose for which it was made has
been accomplished or abandoned; the purpose of any such appropriation
shall be deemed abandoned in two fiscal years following the date the
appropriation passed without any disbursement from or encumbrance
of the appropriation.
All fees received by any office or employee of the Town shall
belong to the Town and shall be paid to the Town Treasurer at such
intervals as the Council may require, except otherwise provided in
this Charter.
[Added 11-2-2004]
The minimum unreserved general fund balance the Town shall maintain
shall be not less than 12% of the total annual Town proposed expenditures
for the next fiscal year.
[Added 11/4/2014]
The Town Treasurer is authorized, with Town Council approval,
to transfer funds from Restricted, Committed, and Assigned Fund Balances
to the General Fund in an amount necessary to cover expenditures incurred
and related to the purposes pursuant to the constraints imposed on
the use of those fund balances.
[Added 11/4/2014]
A portion of the General Fund balance shall be reserved for
encumbrances outstanding on June 30 each year. Said list of encumbrances,
if any, shall be submitted by the Town Treasurer to the Town Council
for approval and the Town Council may re-authorize those funds for
the ensuing fiscal year.
