To provide voters with ample time to review all budget-related items prior to consideration at Town Meeting, to mandate early, timely budget deliberations, to reinforce collaboration and communication, and to discourage budget-related items being introduced at Town Meeting without ample opportunity for all stakeholders to consider the implications, this article sets forth a process for development of the annual budget presented to Town Meeting.
[Adopted 1-16-2018 (Art. XLV of the General Bylaws)]
The Select Board shall prepare the annual operating budget for submission to Town Meeting. Annually, the Select Board shall determine budget priorities for the upcoming fiscal year, after consultation with the Finance Team [Town Administrator, Finance Committee member(s), Town Accountant, Treasurer/Collector, and Principal Assessor] as the Select Board deems necessary and appropriate.
On or about December 1, the Town Administrator shall forward to all departments and committees a budget schedule, which schedule shall include time frames and deadlines for actions necessary to prepare the annual budget, together with the Select Board's budget priorities and guidelines for budget preparation. This schedule shall include a date, no later than April 1 (or at least two weeks after the Select Board's budget is submitted to the Finance Committee as provided for in the budget schedule, whichever is later), for the Finance Committee to provide its budget recommendations to the Select Board.
The Select Board's final budget and the Finance Committee's final budget recommendations for each line item of the Select Board's final budget shall, at least one week prior to the Annual Town Meeting, be posted on the Town's website and be made available at Town Hall.