[Amended 10-17-2022 STM by Art. 30, approved 5-16-2023 Annual
Town Election, Question 26]
8-1-1 It is the responsibility of the Finance Committee to independently
examine and analyze the Town's financial affairs, including proposed
budgets, the Capital Improvements Plan, and all other proposals which
would have a financial impact; and to inform the citizens of the Town
of its findings and recommendations. [Amended 10-17-2022 STM by Art.
30, approved 5-16-2023 Annual Town Election, Question
26]
8-1-2 The Finance Committee, appointed by the Town Moderator,
shall consist of nine members and two associate members appointed
for three-year overlapping terms, arranged so that the terms of at
least three members shall expire at the end of the 15th day of the
fiscal year, provided that no more than one associate member's
term expires in any given year. [Amended 10-17-2022 STM by Art. 30, approved 5-16-2023 Annual Town Election, Question 26]
8-1-3 Any person duly appointed to the Finance Committee shall
take up the duties of the office upon the 16th day of the fiscal year,
provided that said person shall have been sworn to the faithful performance
of said person's duties by the Town Clerk. [Added 10-17-2022 STM by Art.
30, approved 5-16-2023 Annual Town Election, Question
26[1]]
8-1-4 Vacancies in the Finance Committee shall be filled by
the Moderator within thirty days after the Moderator has been notified,
in writing, of the vacancy on the Committee. If the Moderator shall
fail to fill the vacancy within thirty days after such notification,
the remaining members of the Committee shall fill the vacancy by majority
vote.
8-1-5 Any person appointed to fill out an unexpired term shall
take up the duties immediately, provided that the person first shall
have been sworn to the faithful performance of the person's duties
by the Town Clerk.
8-1-6 No member of the Finance Committee shall hold any other
elected or appointed Town office.
[1]
Editor's Note: This article also redesignated former 8-1-3,
8-1-4, and 8-1-5 as 8-1-4, 8-1-5, and 8-1-6.
8-2-1 On or before the fifteenth day of September of each year,
the Town Manager shall promulgate a budget schedule which shall set
forth the calendar dates relating to the development of the operating
budget.
8-2-2 Said schedule shall be in accordance with this chapter
unless deviation therefrom is recommended by the Town Manager, and
approved by the Select Board and the Finance Committee. [Amended
5-13-2019 ATM, Art. 59, approved 6-23-2020 Annual Town Election, Question
5; 5-9-2022 ATM
by Art. 63, approved 5-16-2023 Annual Town Election,
Question 20]
8-2-3 On or before the first day of October of each year, the
Town Manager shall request and receive from the Collector-Treasurer,
the Town Accountant/Director of Municipal Finance, the Select Board,
and the Assessors the estimated revenues for the ensuing fiscal year. [Amended 5-11-2015 ATM, Art. 53, effective 5-18-2016; 5-13-2019 ATM,
Art. 59, approved 6-23-2020 Annual Town Election, Question 5; 5-9-2022 ATM by Art. 63, approved 5-16-2023 Annual Town Election, Question 20]
8-2-4 Upon receipt of any additional specific fiscal data provided
by the Commonwealth or from any other source, such estimates shall
be revised, updated, and submitted forthwith to the Town Manager. [Amended 5-9-2022 ATM by Art. 63, approved 5-16-2023 Annual Town
Election, Question 20]
8-2-5 The Select Board and Finance Committee shall conduct a
joint public hearing, chaired by the Select Board, on or before September
20 of each year to solicit public priorities in upcoming fiscal years. [Amended 5-13-2019 ATM, Art. 59, approved 6-23-2020 Annual Town Election,
Question 5]
8-2-6 On or before the first day of November of each year, the
Select Board, after consulting with the Town Manager, shall issue
its policy statement relating to the budget for the ensuing fiscal
year. The statement shall establish the general guidelines of the
next budget for the Town, in accordance with the Board's responsibility
under section 3-2-3. [Amended 5-13-2019 ATM, Art. 59, approved
6-23-2020 Annual Town Election, Question 5; 5-9-2022 ATM by Art. 63, approved 5-16-2023 Annual Town Election, Question 20]
8-2-7 All department heads, multi-member bodies shall submit
their budget requests to the Town Manager on or before November 15
of each year. [Amended 5-9-2022 ATM by Art. 63, approved 5-16-2023 Annual
Town Election, Question 20]
8-2-8 On or before January 15 of each year, the Town Manager
shall submit to the Select Board and the Finance Committee a comprehensive
budget for all Town functions for the ensuing fiscal year and an accompanying
budget message. [Amended 5-13-2019 ATM, Art. 59, approved 6-23-2020
Annual Town Election, Question 5; 5-9-2022 ATM by Art. 63, approved
5-16-2023 Annual Town Election, Question 20]
8-2-9 The budget message shall explain the budget both in fiscal
terms and in terms of what specific projects are contemplated in the
year ahead. It shall: (a) outline the proposed financial policies
of the Town for the ensuing fiscal year; (b) describe the important
features of the budget; (c) indicate any major changes from the current
year in financial policies, expenditures, and revenues, together with
the reasons for such changes; (d) summarize the Town's debt position;
and (e) include such other material as the Town Manager may deem appropriate.
8-2-10 The budget shall provide a complete financial plan for
all Town funds and activities and shall be in such format as the Town
Manager, in consultation with the Finance Committee, may suggest,
provided that the format is compatible with the standards recommended
by the Commonwealth's Director of Accounts and/or the State Association
of Finance Committees. The budget shall indicate proposed expenditures
for both current operations and capital projects during the ensuing
fiscal year, detailed by departments, offices, multi-member bodies,
and specific purposes and projects. [Amended 5-9-2022 ATM by Art. 63, approved 5-16-2023 Annual Town Election, Question 20]
8-3-1 The Select Board shall within thirty days of the submission
of the budget by the Town Manager act thereon and submit any budget
revisions to the Finance Committee at that time. The Select Board
shall also transmit the budget request of the School Committee, with
recommendations, to the Finance Committee. [Amended 5-13-2019
ATM, Art. 59, approved 6-23-2020 Annual Town Election, Question 5; 5-9-2022 ATM by Art. 63, approved 5-16-2023 Annual Town Election, Question 20]
8-3-2 On or before March 15 of each year, the Finance Committee
and Select Board shall conduct a joint public hearing on the proposed
budget. The hearing agenda shall be established by the Finance Committee
in consultation with the Select Board and the Town Manager. [Amended 5-11-2015 ATM, Art. 51, effective 5-18-2016; 5-13-2019 ATM,
Art. 59, approved 6-23-2020 Annual Town Election, Question 5; 5-9-2022 ATM by Art. 63, approved 5-16-2023 Annual Town Election, Question 20]
8-3-3 The Finance Committee shall issue printed recommendations
on all articles having financial implications in the Finance Committee
report within the Warrant, by flier distributed on the floor of Town
Meeting, or by announcement during Town Meeting. In preparing its
recommendations, the Committee may require the Town Manager, any Town
department, office, or multi-member body to furnish it with appropriate
financial reports and budgetary information. [Amended 5-9-2022 ATM by Art. 63, approved 5-16-2023 Annual Town Election, Question 20]
8-3-4 The Select Board shall be responsible for presenting the
budget to the Town Meeting. [Amended 5-13-2019 ATM, Art. 59,
approved 6-23-2020 Annual Town Election, Question 5]
8-4-1 The Town Meeting shall adopt the budget, with or without
amendments, prior to the beginning of the fiscal year.
8-5-1 The Town Manager shall prepare a five year Capital Improvements
Plan (CIP) and an annual Capital Budget which shall be designed to
deal with unmet long range needs of the Town and to implement the
goals and objectives of the Orleans Comprehensive Plan as it may be
amended from time to time. The CIP shall include land acquisitions,
buildings and improvements, machinery and equipment, vehicles, and
infrastructure including roads, water mains, storm drainage and other
publicly owned utilities. The Select Board may establish more detailed
policies relating to the refinement and implementation of the CIP. [Amended 5-11-2015 ATM, Art.
52, effective 5-18-2016; 5-13-2019
ATM, Art. 59, approved 6-23-2020 Annual Town Election, Question 5; 5-9-2022 ATM by Art. 63, approved 5-16-2023 Annual Town Election, Question 20]
8-5-2 The Capital Improvements Plan (CIP) shall include proposed
expenditures for all town activities and departments for the capital
improvements defined in Section 8-5-1. Proposed capital improvements
for the regional school and other regional entities shall be included
in the CIP provided that such inclusion is consistent with the regional
or inter-municipal agreements establishing such entities. In addition,
the CIP shall include regional, county, state and federal grants that
may be used to support and finance capital improvements, facilities
and equipment through grants, loans or inter-municipal agreements.
8-5-3 The Capital Improvements Plan (CIP) shall include: (a)
A clear summary of its contents; (b) A list of all capital expenditures
proposed for all categories of items listed in 8-5-1 above for the
next five fiscal years and projects to be included in the proposed
Capital Budget for the next fiscal year, together with all supporting
data; (c) cost estimates, proposed methods of financing, sources of
funds and terms of debt repayment along with a recommended time schedule
for each capital expenditure to be financed over a period of more
than one year; and (d) the estimated annual cost of operating and
maintaining the facilities and/or equipment to be constructed, improved
or acquired.
The information in the CIP shall be updated at least annually
and submitted to and approved by the annual or special town meetings
as appropriate. In the case of multi-year projects, it shall be adjusted
to insure that the CIP accurately reflects the projected annual costs
of all capital projects.
8-5-4 The Town Manager shall transmit the Capital Improvements
Plan (CIP) and the proposed annual Capital Budget to the Select Board
no later than January 15 of each year. The Select Board shall, within
30 days, act on the CIP and Capital Budget, with or without amendments,
and submit the documents to the Finance Committee for its review and
comment. The Select Board and the Finance Committee, after the public
hearing held under Section 8-6-1 below, shall report their recommendations
to the Town Meeting. [Amended 5-13-2019 ATM, Art. 59, approved
6-23-2020 Annual Town Election, Question 5; 5-9-2022 ATM by Art. 63, approved 5-16-2023 Annual Town Election, Question 20]
8-6-1 The Select Board shall publish on the Town website, in
one or more news outlets of general circulation in Town, and in at
least three public places the general summary of the proposed Capital
Improvements Plan (CIP) and Capital Budget and a notice stating: (a)
the times and places where copies of the complete CIP and Capital
Budget are available for inspection; and (b) the date, time and place,
not less than seven days following such publication, where the Select
Board and the Finance Committee will conduct a public hearing on said
plan to be chaired by the Finance Committee. The joint hearing shall
be held no later than March 1 of each year in order to allow the Select
Board and the Finance Committee to include their respective positions
on the CIP and the Capital Budget to be printed in the Warrant for
the Town Meeting. [Amended 5-11-2015 ATM, Art. 52, effective 5-18-2016; 5-13-2019 ATM, Art. 59, approved 6-23-2020 Annual Town
Election, Question 5; 5-9-2022 ATM by Art. 63, approved 5-16-2023 Annual
Town Election, Question 20]
8-7-1 The Town Meeting shall act on the five year Capital Improvements
Plan (CIP) and the annual Capital Budget, provided all proposed projects
included in the Capital Budget have been included in the CIP in the
prior fiscal year. The Capital Budget may consist of more than one
article in the Warrant for the Town Meeting. Any articles for capital
improvements not in compliance with 8-5-1 shall require a three-fourths
(3/4) majority vote of the Town Meeting. [Amended 5-11-2015 ATM, Art. 52, effective 5-18-2016]
8-8-1 An independent audit of the Town's finances shall be performed
annually by a certified public accounting firm with experience in
municipal audits and/or other public agency audits, chosen by the
Select Board for a term of up to three years. A copy of every auditors'
report shall be filed with the Town Clerk, shall be a public record,
and a summary thereof shall be published in the next Annual Town Report. [Amended 5-13-2019 ATM, Art. 59, approved 6-23-2020 Annual Town Election,
Question 5]
