The fiscal and budget year of the Town shall begin on the first day of January and end on the 31st day of December unless other dates shall be fixed by action of the Town Council.
[Amended 9-26-2023]
At such time as may be requested by the Manager or specified by the Administrative Code, each officer or director of a department shall submit an itemized estimate of the expenditures for the next fiscal year for the departments or activities under his control to the Manager. Based on these estimates and other data, the Town Manager shall prepare a recommended budget which shall, together with these department estimates, be submitted to the Council on such date as the Council shall establish. The Council shall review the budget for the following fiscal year and make such modifications and amendments as it desires.
[Amended 9-26-2023]
A. 
The Town of Bedford shall utilize the official ballot for voting on all budgetary issues before the voters.
B. 
The warrant for the annual meeting shall prescribe the place, day and hour for the Deliberative Session and the Official Ballot Session and notice shall be given per State statute.
(1) 
As prescribed by RSA 40:13,II-a(c), or as amended, the Town Council shall hold as many public hearings on the budget as it deems necessary, in a convenient place, but at least one public hearing on the budget shall be held on or before the third Tuesday in January prior to the Deliberative Session. One or more supplemental budget hearings may be held at any time before the first session of the annual meeting.
(2) 
Notice of budget hearings.
(a) 
Notice of such public hearing, the Deliberative Session and the Official Ballot Session, together with a copy of the budget as submitted, shall be posted in two public places.
(b) 
A copy of the budget shall be available to the public at the office of the Town Clerk during regular business hours and be posted on the Town of Bedford website.
(c) 
In addition, notice of such public hearing, the Deliberative Session and the Official Ballot Session shall be published according to State statute.
C. 
The Deliberative session shall be held between the first and second Saturdays following the last Monday in January, inclusive of those Saturdays, and consist of an explanation, discussion, and debate of each warrant article. A vote to restrict reconsideration shall be deemed to prohibit any further action on the restricted article until the Official Ballot Session, and RSA 40:10,II shall not apply. Warrant articles may be amended at the Deliberative Session subject to the following limitations:
(1) 
Warrant articles whose wording is prescribed by law shall not be amended.
(2) 
Warrant articles that are amended shall be placed on the official ballot for a final vote on the main motion, as amended.
(3) 
No warrant article shall be amended to eliminate the subject matter of the article. An amendment that changes the dollar amount of an appropriation in a warrant article shall not be deemed to violate this subparagraph.
D. 
All budgetary warrant articles shall be placed on the official ballot for a final vote.
E. 
The Town Clerk shall prepare an official ballot for all warrant articles. Wording shall be substantively the same as the main motion, as it was made or amended at the Deliberative Session, with only such minor textual changes as may be required to cast the motion in the form of a question to voters. All votes of the Town Council regarding warrants shall be recorded votes, and the numerical tally of any such vote shall be printed in the town ballot next to the affected warrant article. If an article is amended at the Deliberative Session, the Town Council shall then re-vote the amended language, such that the tally on the ballot accurately reflects the vote of the Town Council, including the amendment.
F. 
The Official Ballot Session shall be for the election of officers, voting on zoning amendments, bonds and notes, all warrant articles from the Deliberative Session, and all questions required by law. The Official Ballot Session shall be held on the second Tuesday in March. Bonds or notes shall require a 3/5 majority for passage.
G. 
In addition to acting on warrant articles, voters shall choose between the proposed Operating Budget, as may be amended during the Deliberative Session, and the Default Budget, which shall be calculated as described below. If the proposed Operating Budget and Default Budget receive equal votes, the Default Budget shall be considered approved.
(1) 
"Operating budget" means "operating budget" as defined in RSA 40:13,IX(a), or as amended.
(2) 
"Default Budget" means "default budget" as defined in RSA 40:13,IX(b), or as amended, which is the amount of the same appropriations as contained in the operating budget authorized for the previous year, reduced and increased, as the case may be, by debt service, contracts, and other obligations previously incurred or mandated by law, and reduced by one-time expenditures contained in the operating budget and by salaries and benefits of positions that have been eliminated in the proposed budget. For the purposes of this paragraph, one-time expenditures shall be appropriations not likely to recur in the succeeding budget, and eliminated positions shall not include vacant positions under recruitment or positions redefined in the proposed operating budget, as determined by the governing body. In calculating the default budget amount, the governing body shall follow the statutory formula which may result in a higher or lower amount than the proposed operating budget.
(3) 
The Default Budget is the amount that will be raised if the proposed Operating Budget is defeated. If the Default Budget is adopted because of the defeat of the proposed Operating Budget, the amount raised and appropriated may be expended for any purpose contained in the defeated proposed Operating Budget. The total amount available for expenditure when operating under the Default Budget will not exceed the default amount plus the amount appropriated by separate and special warrant articles except as otherwise provided by laws such as, but not limited to RSA 32:9-11.
(4) 
For the purposes of this section, "previously incurred" means on or before the Deliberative Session at which the default budget is presented to voters.
H. 
The wording of the article on the operating budget shall be as follows:
"Shall the Town raise and appropriate as an operating budget, not including appropriations by special warrant articles and other appropriations voted separately, the amounts set forth on the budget posted with the warrant or as amended by vote of the first session, for the purposes set forth therein, totaling $_____? Should this article be defeated, the default budget shall be $_____, which is the same as last year, with certain adjustments required by previous action of the Town or by law; or the governing body may hold one special meeting, in accordance with RSA 40:13, X and XVI, to take up the issue of a revised operating budget only."
I. 
The capital reserve budget shall be voted on as its own warrant article or articles, clearly enumerating each capital reserve fund category. The establishing of a new capital reserve fund, discontinuing of an existing fund or changing the purpose of an existing capital reserve fund shall be a separate warrant article. The wording of the article or articles on the capital reserve budget shall be as follows:
"Shall the Town raise and appropriate as a capital reserve budget, the amounts set forth in the warrant article, for the purposes set forth therein, totaling $_____."
J. 
Voting at the Official Ballot Session shall follow the procedures outlined in State statute, including all requirements pertaining to absentee voting, polling place and polling hours.
K. 
Votes taken on the Official Ballot shall be subject to recount as outlined in State statute.
L. 
Votes taken on bonds or notes at the Official Ballot Session shall not be reconsidered except by warrant article at a subsequent annual or special meeting.
M. 
The warrant for any special meeting shall prescribe the date, place and hour for a Deliberative Session and Official Ballot Session. The Deliberative Session and Official Ballot Sessions shall conform to RSA 40:13,XVI and applicable provisions of this Charter.
[Amended 3-10-2015]
[1]
Editor's Note: Former § C5-4, Final date for budget adoption, was repealed 9-26-2023, as amended.
At the beginning of each quarterly period during the fiscal year, and more often if required by the Council, the Manager or his designee shall submit to the Council data showing the relations between the estimated and actual income and expenses to date, together with outstanding indebtedness and estimated future expenses; and if it shall appear that the income is less than anticipated, the Manager, with Council approval, may reduce the appropriation for any item or items in the budget, except amounts required for debt, interest charges, and other fixed costs, to such a degree as may be necessary to keep expenditures within the cash income. At any time, the Manager may provide for monthly or quarterly allotments of appropriations to departments, funds, or agencies under such rules, as he shall prescribe.
After the budget has been adopted, no money shall be drawn from the treasury of the Town nor shall any obligation for the expenditure of money be incurred except pursuant to a budget appropriation. The head of any department, with the approval of the Manager, may transfer any unspent balance or any portion thereof from one fund or agency within his department to another fund or agency within his department. The Manager, with the approval of the Council, may transfer any unspent balance or any portion thereof from one department to another.
A. 
Town Manager, after consultation with the Planning Board, shall prepare and submit to the Council a capital improvement plan at least one month prior to the final date for submission of the budget. The capital improvement program shall include:
(1) 
A clear summary of its contents;
(2) 
A list of all capital improvements including major replacements which are proposed to be undertaken during the next six fiscal years, including but not limited to equipment, sewer and water mains or facilities, roads, sidewalks, bicycle paths or lanes, public open spaces and recreation facilities, new police and/or fire stations, and other new public facilities, and major items of equipment, with appropriate supporting information as to the necessity for such improvements;
(3) 
Cost estimates, methods of financing, and recommended time schedule for each such improvement; and
(4) 
The estimated annual cost of operating and maintaining the facilities to be constructed or acquired.
B. 
The Capital Improvement Plan shall be based on a period of not less than six years and shall include reference to or be influenced by, where appropriate, the Town Master/Comprehensive Plan.
C. 
The above information may be revised and extended each year with regard to capital improvements still pending or in process of construction or acquisition.
D. 
The Town Council and Town of Bedford Planning Board shall meet annually in preparation for and review of the Capital Improvement Plan in a manner determined from time to time by the Town Council.
E. 
A summary of the updated Capital Improvement Plan with estimated costs shall be included in the Town Report, and such portion of the current year costs the Council deems appropriate may be included in the Town budget.
Every appropriation, except an appropriation for a capital expenditure or dedicated funds, shall lapse at the close of the 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 Council shall approve to the Treasurer the depository or depositories for Town funds and shall provide for the timely deposit of all Town monies. The Council may require such security for Town deposits as it deems necessary, except that personal surety bonds shall not be deemed proper security.
Any Town officer elected or appointed by authority of this Charter shall be bonded in an amount as required by state law or dictated by prudent fiscal practice for the faithful performance of the duties of his office. The Manager and all officers receiving or disbursing Town funds shall be so bonded. All official bonds shall be corporate surety bonds, and the premiums thereon shall be paid by the Town. Such bonds shall be filed with the Town Clerk.
[Amended 9-11-2012]
All borrowing of money for any purpose within the scope of the powers vested in the Town and the issuance of bonds, notes or other evidence of indebtedness of the Town shall be in accordance with the procedures prescribed in the Municipal Finance Act, RSA Chapter 33.
[Amended 3-10-2015]
A. 
Definition. The acquisition of any and all equipment, materials, supplies and services using funds of the Town or in the fiduciary custody of the Town shall be deemed "public procurements."
B. 
Procurement Policy. The Council shall adopt a Procurement Policy which shall establish purchasing and contracting procedures that shall apply to all departments. The policy shall ensure prudent use of Town resources, foster fair competition among providers and encourage cooperative purchasing among departments and with other governmental entities.
C. 
Purchasing agent. The Town Manager shall be the purchasing agent of the Town and shall ensure compliance with the Procurement Policy adopted by the Council. He or his designee shall approve all procurements, purchase orders and contracts in a manner consistent with the policy.
D. 
Policy waivers. The Council may, by affirmative vote of five of its members, waive any requirements of the Procurement Policy it deems appropriate to special circumstances, provided it publicly states and documents the circumstances warranting waiver and its reasons therefor.
A. 
Conditions allowing special assessment. When it appears, either by resident petition or Council deliberation, that a capital public improvement project should be defrayed in part or whole by special assessment, the Council shall have the authority subject to state law to undertake such project.
B. 
Public hearing on special assessments. The Council shall hold a public hearing on the project prior to enacting any special assessment resolution.
(1) 
Such resolution shall state the estimated cost of the project(s), the proportion to be borne by special assessment, and the proportion to be borne by Town revenues, and shall not exceed $20,000 of Town revenues per year without prior approval of the Town Council.
(2) 
The resolution shall designate the areas of the Town or the premises on which the special assessment shall be levied and the conditions of payment of the levy.
C. 
Executing special assessment projects. All of the procedures utilized in executing any project involving special assessment shall conform to the requirement of § C5-12 of this article and such special conditions as may be required by affirmative action of the Council.
A. 
Trustees of the trust funds. There shall be three Trustees of the trust funds who shall hold office for three years and until their successors are elected and qualified on a staggered basis so that one Trustee is elected at each Town election. They shall have all the powers and duties granted to Trustees of trust funds by this Charter and state law.
B. 
Investments. Trust funds, except where otherwise provided by the instrument creating such trust, shall be kept separate and apart from all other funds and shall be invested by the Trustees in legal investments.
C. 
Vacancy. In the event of a vacancy in office, the Council shall fill such vacancy by appointment, such appointment to be effective until a successor to fill the unexpired term is elected at the next Town election and is then qualified to serve.