The Town Manager shall prepare a budget message and a five-year capital improvement program to the Town Council by the first Town Council meeting in April of any given fiscal year.
[Adopted as Art. V, Sec. 1, of the Bylaws]
The Town Manager shall furnish to each department, board, commission, and committee a uniform budget document, a budget calendar, and guidelines for the preparation of budgets. The proposed budgets shall be returned on a date specified by the Town Manager.
All department heads shall submit their budgets to their respective boards, commissions, or committees for approval prior to submission to the Town Manager.
The Town Manager shall review and consolidate all budget proposals into a comprehensive proposed final budget.
The Town Manager shall prepare a statement containing a general summary of the proposed budget contents, showing in detail all sources of revenue received by the Town in the preceding fiscal years and estimates of the same for the current fiscal years and shall show in detail all other estimated income and all proposed expenditures, including debt service. The Town Manager shall, further, report the probable amount of property taxes to be levied and raised to defray all expenses and liabilities, together with an estimate of the tax rate necessary to raise said amount, in addition to any other requirements as set forth in the General Laws or the Town Charter.
The Town Manager shall present the proposed comprehensive budget revenue statements with a budget message and Capital Improvement Program to the Town Council, and after the notice and public hearing process as prescribed by the Town Charter, the Town Council shall vote to adopt the budget, with any amendments thereto, no later than 15 days prior to the start of the fiscal year.