It is the intent of the Town Board to ensure fiscal responsibility
by limiting the operating budget expenditures. Therefore, it is the
intent of this chapter to limit the annual increases in the Town-Wide
General Fund expenditures in an amount not greater than the three-year
average of revenue growth, plus the three-year average population
growth rate.
When used in this chapter, the following terms shall have the
meanings indicated:
POPULATION GROWTH RATE
The percentage change in population in the Town of Brookhaven
in one fiscal year as compared to the population in the Town of Brookhaven
in the immediately preceding fiscal year as reported in the Long Island
Power Authority (LIPA) population survey.
REVENUE GROWTH RATE
Excluding any application of surplus, the percentage change
in actual revenue in the Town-Wide General Fund in one fiscal year
as compared to the actual revenue in the Town-Wide General Fund in
the immediately preceding fiscal year.
The total dollar amount of expenditures in the annual adopted
operating budget for the Town-Wide General Fund shall not increase
above the total dollar amount of expenditures in the most recent adopted
operating budget for the Town-Wide General Fund by more than the three-year
average of revenue growth rate plus the three-year average population
growth rate for the three previous completed fiscal years. When the
calculated growth rate is less than 0%, adopted expenditures shall
not exceed expenditures in the most recent adopted budget. For the
purposes of this section, the most recent adopted budget shall include
any revisions adopted via Town Board resolution.
Notwithstanding the provisions of §
18B-3 or §
18B-4, the Town Board may provide for an increase in spending in the Town-Wide General Fund in excess of the amount defined in §
18B-3 by an affirmative vote of 3/4 of the Town Board.
It is the Town Board's express intent and purpose, pursuant
to § 10(1)(ii)(d)(3) of the Municipal Home Rule Law, and
§ 10 of the Statute of Local Governments, to supersede New
York State Town Law § 63, to the extent necessary, by requiring
an affirmative vote of 3/4 of the Town Board as provided under this
chapter.
If any clause, sentence, paragraph or section of this chapter
shall be adjudged by any court of competent jurisdiction to be invalid,
such judgment shall not impair or invalidate the remainder hereof,
but such adjudication shall be confined in its operation to the clause,
sentence, paragraph or section directly involved in the controversy
in which judgment shall have been rendered.