[Amended 11-7-1989, § 2; amended 11-2-2010]
The fiscal year of the Town government shall begin on the first day of July of each calendar year and shall end on the last day of June of each following calendar year.
[Amended 11-7-1989, § 2; amended 11-2-1993; amended 11-2-2010; amended 11-4-2014]
No later than the first Monday in February of each fiscal year, operating budget requests shall be submitted to the Town Administrator by the head of each department, board or other agency whose activities are to be supported in whole or in part by Town funds during the next fiscal year in accordance with Article VIII of this Charter.
[Amended 11-7-1989, § 2; amended 11-2-2010]
There shall be a Budget Committee consisting of five members. Each member of the Town Council shall initially appoint one member of the pursuant to an appointment procedure establishing three year staggered terms. Said initial appointments shall be effective from 8:00 p.m. local time on the first day of December immediately following the adoption of the amendment to this Section 3 of this Charter, and shall be for one member having a one year term, two members having a two year term, and two members having a three year term. Thereafter each successor to any member's expiring term shall be appointed by the majority vote of the Town Council for a three year term. A member shall be a person who is a qualified voter of the Town of North Smithfield and shall serve without compensation, but an appropriation for the Committee's actual expenses may be made. In the case of a vacancy on the Committee after the appointment of its members, such vacancy or vacancies shall be filled by the majority vote of the Town Council. The Committee shall hold a regular quarterly meeting and such other meetings as it shall deem necessary to accomplish its purposes.
[Amended 11-7-1989, § 2; amended 11-2-1993; amended 11-2-2010; amended 11-4-2014]
No later than the first Monday in June of each year, the Budget Committee shall cause copies of the budget recommendations to be delivered to each member of the Town Council and shall file one copy with the Town Clerk to be available for public inspection. Recommendations shall include an estimate of funds on hand and obligations pending as of the beginning of the new fiscal year, estimates of revenue anticipated together with its revenue and tax proposals, recommended expenditures divided into an operating budget and capital budget and such supporting explanations and information as it may deem appropriate or the Council shall have requested. In preparing the budget, the Budget Committee shall have the authority in consultation with the Town Administrator to alter the estimates submitted as it shall see fit.
[Amended 11-7-1989, § 2; amended 11-2-1993; amended 11-2-2010; amended 11-6-2018]
All capital budget requests shall be submitted to the Asset Management Commission by the first Monday in February. The Asset Management Commission shall make its recommendation to the Budget Committee by April 1.
[Amended 11-7-1989, § 2; amended 11-2-1993]
The Council shall schedule a public hearing on the budget prior to adopting the budget.
[Amended 11-7-1989, § 2; amended 11-2-1993; amended 11-2-2010]
(a) 
Upon completion of the public hearing, the Council shall take the results thereof under consideration and shall make changes in the budget as it may feel appropriate. Final adoption of the budget shall be voted no later than June 30, or as otherwise extended by state law. Certification of the budget shall be in accordance with Article VIII of the Home Rule Charter.
(b) 
The Town Council shall have and exercise the powers vested in the Town to raise by a tax upon real and personal estates such sums of money as may be required to pay Town debts and to defray the necessary charges and expenses of the Town, and it also may assess, levy or impose any other taxes for the support of the Town which may legally be assessed, levied or imposed.
(c) 
The Town Council may at a regular or special meeting authorize the hiring, pursuant to statutes now or hereafter in effect, of money in each financial year in anticipation of the receipt of the proceeds of the annual tax due or to become due in said financial year upon the ratable property in Town. Tax anticipation notes shall be repaid within the taxable year for which they are borrowed.
[Amended 11-7-1989, § 2; amended 11-2-1993]
Any qualified elector of the Town may circulate a petition for the holding of a Special Town Meeting (as set forth in Article III, Section 10 of the Home Rule Charter) to reconsider items for expenditure in either the operating budget or the capital budget as finally approved by the Council or to consider the insertion of a new item or items in the capital budget. Regarding the school budget, only the total sum appropriated for school purposes shall constitute an item subject to petition in this manner. Such petition shall be upon forms prepared and provided by the Town Clerk and shall enumerate the specific item or items to be reconsidered, the amount of the increase or decrease proposed or the new item proposed for insertion and its amount. All such petitions for the calling of a Special Town Meeting must be filed with the Board of Canvassers no later than one week following the adoption of the final budget as provided in Section 8 above.
[Amended 11-7-1989, § 2]
(a) 
The Board of Canvassers shall approve any such petition for the calling of a Special Town Meeting if it bears valid signatures of at least 500 qualified electors of the Town. Upon the approval of any such petition or petitions, the board shall notify the Town Clerk to call a Special Town Meeting. This notification must be made not later than two weeks following receipt of the most recently submitted of the petitions approved.
(b) 
The Town Clerk shall fix the date of such Special Town Meeting so that it shall be held not later than two weeks following notification by the Board of Canvassers and shall cause notice to be given to the electors of the Town in the manner prescribed by law for such meetings. The warrant shall only include the item or items and amounts enumerated in the petition or petitions requesting the meeting, and no business other than those specific items and amounts shall be in order. All items enumerated in valid petitions shall be considered at a single Town Meeting. The decisions of any such Special Town Meeting respecting the item or items it was called to consider shall be final and binding on the Council, the Town Administrator and all others concerned.
(c) 
At least 400 qualified electors shall be necessary to constitute a quorum at any Special Town Meeting. All questions shall be decided by a majority of the votes of the qualified electors present.
(d) 
In no case may the operating budget of a department or agency be increased by a Special Town Meeting above the total amount of said budget as submitted to the Council by the Budget Committee.
(e) 
No Town Meetings shall be called or held except in accordance with the foregoing provisions of this article. At Special Town Meetings held in accordance herewith, the President of the Town Council shall preside. Such Special Town Meetings shall be conducted in accordance with applicable provisions of state law not inconsistent with this Charter.
(f) 
If no petition shall have been filed with the Board of Canvassers within the time limit set in Section 9 hereof or if no petition so filed is approved by the board under the terms of Subsection (a) of this section, the budget shall stand as adopted pursuant to Section 8 hereof.
[Amended 11-7-1989, § 2]
The electors of the Town otherwise qualified to vote in any general or special election in the Town may at a regular or special election authorize the issuance of bonds pursuant to the statutes now or hereafter in effect.