Town of Foxborough, MA Chapter 5 Advisory Committee

[HISTORY: Adopted by the Town Meeting of the Town of Foxborough as Art. III of the General Bylaws. Amendments noted where applicable.]

§ 5-1 Eligibility, appointment, and tenure.

A. There shall be an advisory committee consisting of 15 registered voters of the Town, none of whom shall hold any other full- or part-time office or employment in the Town government. At or immediately after each Annual Meeting, the Moderator shall appoint five eligible voters to the committee, each for a term of three years commencing on July 1 or following said Annual Town Meeting, and expiring on June 30 or end of Annual Town Meeting, whichever is later, three years hence. In addition, the Moderator shall, at the same time, make any appointment necessary to fill the unexpired term of any vacated position on the committee. At no time shall the committee include more than three members who have served more than three consecutive years, but any member may be reappointed after one year has elapsed since the expiration of his most recent term. The Moderator shall fill any vacancy occurring in the committee's membership after an Annual Town Meeting until the following Annual Town Meeting, unless the office of Moderator is vacant, in which case the committee shall fill any such vacancy by majority vote.

B. Any member who submits papers to the Town Clerk to run for an elected office during his/her term on the advisory committee, and should the office for which the member has submitted papers be uncontested, shall be ineligible to serve on said committee and his/her position on the advisory committee shall be considered vacated on the day following the last legal day for filing.

C. In case of a contested election for which an advisory committee member has submitted papers, the member will take a leave of absence from the committee for that period of time from the submission of papers to the Town Clerk until the election. Should the member not be elected, he/she will immediately be reinstated, unless his/her term on the Committee has otherwise expired.

§ 5-2 Powers and duties.

A. The members of the committee shall serve without compensation. They shall meet to elect officers, appoint subcommittees, and adopt rules as soon as practicable following each Annual Town Meeting.

B. If any member is absent from five consecutive meetings, the committee may vote that his/her position be vacated.

C. The committee shall consider any or all municipal questions, except those relating to the election of candidates to public office, for the purpose of making reports or recommendations to the Town and submitting a budget at the Annual Meeting. The Select Board, and all boards, committees, heads of departments, or other officers of the Town authorized by law to expend money, shall furnish to the committee, no later than February 1 or the next closest Friday at 4:00 p.m. of each year, detailed estimates of the amounts necessary for the proper maintenance of the departments under their jurisdiction for the ensuing year, with explanatory statements as to any changes from the amounts appropriated for the same purposes in the preceding year, and an estimate of the amounts necessary for outlays or permanent improvements. They shall also prepare estimates of any income likely to be received by the Town during the ensuing year in connection with the Town's business or property entrusted to their care. The Select Board shall include in their estimate the salaries and expenses connected with their own office, and the salaries of all other Town officers shall be included in the estimates for the office, department, or branch of the public service of which they are in charge. The Treasurer shall, in addition to her/his estimates of the amount required for the maintenance of her/his own office, prepare a separate statement indicating the amount required for the payment of interest on the Town debt and for the payment of such portions of the Town debt as may become due during the following year.

[Amended 1-30-2023 STM by Art. 1]

D. The committee may request any officer, employee, or voter to attend a meeting or meetings to furnish information pertinent to any article under consideration.

E. At least seven days prior to the annual meeting and at least 24 hours prior to a special meeting, the committee shall publish, in sheet or pamphlet form, each article in the warrant, except those pertaining to the election of officers, followed by the recommendation of the committee; and shall file one copy thereof with the Town Clerk and thereafter make available additional copies in sufficient numbers for distribution.