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