[Amended ATE 5-15-2007, Question 12; ATE 5-19-2020, Question 3]
A. The Select Board shall within fifteen (15) days adopt the budget,
with or without recommendations, and submit it to the Finance Committee
on or before the 16th day of January of each year. The Select Board
shall also transmit the budget request of the School Committee to
the Finance Committee.
B. The Finance Committee shall conduct at least one (1) public hearing
on the proposed budget and shall issue printed recommendations and
detailed explanations on all financial articles in an annual Finance
Committee report, which shall be mailed or distributed to the residences
of all members of the Town Meeting at least fourteen (14) days prior
to any scheduled Town Meeting. In preparing its recommendations, the
Committee may require the Town Manager or any Town department, office
or any governmental body to furnish it with appropriate financial
reports and budgetary information.
C. The Select Board shall be responsible for presenting the budget to
the Town Meeting.
[Amended ATE 5-19-2020, Question 3]
The Town Meeting shall adopt the budget, with or without amendments,
prior to the beginning of the fiscal year.
The Finance Committee shall publish, in one (1) or more newspapers
of general circulation in the Town, the general summary of the Capital
Improvements Plan and a notice stating:
A. The time and places where copies of the Capital Improvements Plan
are available for inspection.
B. The date, time and place, not less than seven (7) days following
such publication, when the Committee shall conduct a public hearing
on said plan. The public hearing shall be conducted at least thirty
(30) days prior to the Town Meeting at which the capital budget is
acted upon.
Except as otherwise provided by General Laws or bylaw, all moneys
and fees received by any department, officer or governmental body
shall be paid forthwith into the Town treasury.
Every appropriation, except an appropriation for a capital expenditure,
shall lapse at the close of the fiscal year to the extent that it
has not been expended or encumbered. An appropriation for capital
expenditure shall continue in force until the purpose for which it
was made has been accomplished or abandoned, after which any funds
remaining in the appropriation shall be returned to the general fund
by the Town Accountant. The purpose of any such appropriations shall
be deemed abandoned if three (3) years pass without any disbursement
from or encumbrance of the appropriation.
The budget and Capital Improvements Plan shall be public records,
and copies shall be kept available for inspection at the office of
the Town Clerk and at the Falmouth Library.