[Adopted as Ch. 2, Art. III, Div. 2, of the 1988 Revised
General Bylaws]
The advisory and financial committee shall consist of 15 taxpayers,
no one of whom shall be an office holder or candidate for office or
hold membership in any Town organization of a political nature, or
publicly work for any candidate for any Town office. They shall serve
without compensation. It shall be the duty of the committee to consider
any and all municipal questions for the purpose of making reports
or recommendations to the voters of the Town.
If a member of the advisory and financial committee, subsequent
to election, shall become ineligible because of an infraction of any
of the terms enumerated above, he may be suspended for such period
as shall be decided by a two-thirds vote of the total membership of
the committee.
[Amended 10-30-2017 STM
by Art. 9]
At each annual financial town meeting there shall be appointed
five members of the advisory and financial committee each for the
term of three years, to succeed those whose terms are expiring. Such
appointment shall be made in the following manner: The Moderator shall
submit the names of five voters to be appointed to the advisory and
financial committee to the town meeting for confirmation. In case
of a vacancy or vacancies occurring in the advisory and financial
committee the remaining members shall have the power to fill such
vacancy or vacancies for the remainder of the period until the time
of the next annual financial town meeting.
The terms of office of the members of the advisory and financial
committee shall expire at the final adjournment of the annual town
meeting at which their successors shall be appointed.
It shall be the duty of the advisory and financial committee
to inform itself concerning those affairs and interests of the Town,
the subject matter of which is included in the warrant for its town
meetings. The selectmen, the school committee, and departments not
under its supervision, and all other Town officers shall be required
to furnish to the committee, in writing, not less than 90 days before
the annual financial town meeting, in as much detail as possible,
their reports of the previous year with their estimates and recommendations
of the amounts necessary to be appropriated for the support of their
several departments for the ensuing year.
A.
The
advisory and financial committee shall investigate the estimates and
recommendations presented to it and give opportunity to the various
boards and officers to be heard and explain such estimates and recommendations.
B.
The
advisory and financial committee shall consider the estimates and
recommendations, and the various articles in the warrant, for all
town meetings held during the period for which they are appointed,
and shall report in print, seven days previous to the annual town
meeting and two days previous to any special town meeting, its estimates
and recommendations for the action of the Town. Previous to the annual
town meeting, the committee shall present a budget list of appropriations,
showing the estimates as presented by the selectmen, the school committee,
and all other Town officers, together with a report indicating the
committee's reason for any modifications of such estimates, and explaining
any such other recommendations as the committee may make.
Any member who unexcusably fails to attend three consecutive meetings will automatically cease to be a member of the advisory and financial committee. The vacancy so created shall be filled as provided in § 7-4.
