There shall be a Board of Finance consisting of six members elected as provided in Article IX. The members of the Board of Finance shall choose one of its members to be its chairman and another to be its clerk, and may create other offices, and choose other of its members to fill them, at such time or times as it may deem necessary and appropriate.
Except to the extent limited by this Charter, the Board of Finance
shall have all powers, duties, authorities and responsibilities conferred
upon Boards of Finance by the General Statutes and other law. To the
extent not inconsistent with this Charter and other law, the Board
of Finance may adopt such rules and regulations governing its own
procedures, and may set the places, dates and times for its meetings
and its public hearings as, in its judgment, serve the best interests
of the Town. The Board of Finance shall have access at all reasonable
times to the books of account and relevant records of the Town in
the custody of the Board of Selectmen, the Board of Education, any
other agency, or any organization receiving grants or subsidies from
the Town provided such access is in the agreement between the organization
and the Town.
A.
The
Board of Education's budget request.
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On or prior to the 60th day preceding the date of the Annual
Town Meeting, the Board of Education shall submit to the Board of
Finance, in written format as prescribed by the Board of Finance,
the amount the Board of Education has determined is needed during
the ensuing fiscal year for the operation of the public schools and
the maintenance of the school buildings and other assets of the Town
entrusted to the care of such Board, together with supporting documentation
therefor. At the same time, the Board of Education shall also submit
estimates of the cost of anticipated capital expenditures for the
ensuing fiscal year, and for the four following fiscal years in such
form as may be prescribed by the Board of Finance. The Board of Education
shall provide copies of its submissions to the First Selectman at
the same time it submits the same to the Board of Finance.
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B.
The
Board of Selectmen's budget request.
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On or prior to the 60th day preceding the date of the Annual
Town Meeting, the Board of Selectmen shall submit to the Board of
Finance, in written format prescribed by the Board of Finance, the
amounts the Board of Selectmen has determined is needed during the
ensuing fiscal year for each of the various departments and organizations
of the Town other than the public schools, together with supporting
documentation therefor. At the same time, the Board of Selectmen shall
also provide estimates of the cost of all anticipated capital expenditures
for the ensuing fiscal year, as well as for the four following fiscal
years, in such form as may be prescribed by the Board of Finance.
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C.
The public hearings.
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On or before February 15 of each year, the Board of Finance
shall schedule dates, times and places for separate public hearings
on the Board of Education's and Board of Selectmen's budget
requests. These hearings (hereafter, the "public hearings"), shall
take place no later than the 35th day preceding the date of the Annual
Town Meeting.
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D.
Notice of the public hearings.
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At least 10 days in advance of the public hearings, the Board
of Finance shall publish in a newspaper having general circulation
in the Town a notice of such public hearings which shall include a
summary of the budget requests of the Board of Education and Board
of Selectmen; the Board of Finance's estimates for debt service,
tax relief, non-tax revenues, contingencies, the Grand List, fund
balance reserves, the rate of taxation, and any other relevant matters.
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E.
The Responsibilities of the Board of Finance following the public
hearings.
(1)
Following the public hearings the Board of Finance shall consider
the views expressed at the public hearings, the views expressed in
other communications by voters, the financial resources available
to the Town, and the extent to which, in the Board of Finance's
collective judgment, the Board of Education and Board of Selectmen
can find savings within their respective budget requests. The Board
of Finance shall also reconsider, to the extent necessary, debt service
requirements, the appropriate amount of the general fund balance,
and anticipated non-tax revenues, inter alia. The Board of Finance
may reduce or increase any line item in the Board of Selectmen's
budget request or the Board of Education's total budget request,
and at least 21 days prior to the date of the Annual Town Meeting
shall recommend to the Annual Town Meeting a budget for the ensuing
fiscal year of the Town (the "recommended budget") and the rate of
taxation (the "recommended rate of taxation") necessary to support
the same.
(2)
Notwithstanding the provisions of the preceding subsection, if the
Board of Finance votes to change one or more of the line items in
the Board of Selectmen's budget request, the Board of Selectmen
shall have the power, with four affirmative votes to override the
Board of Finance's action, provided that the Board of Selectmen
shall reduce or increase other line items so that the total of their
budget request shall equal the total amount of such line items as
originally proposed but thereafter amended by the Board of Finance's
action. The Board of Selectmen shall not have the power to reduce
the employer's pension or other post-employment benefits contributions
below the actuarially calculated annual required contributions. The
Board of Selectmen's action in such respect shall not be subject
to further amendment by subsequent action of the Board of Finance
prior to the Annual Meeting. The Board of Selectmen's modified
budget request shall then be submitted to the Board of Finance prior
to its final determination of the recommended budget and recommended
rate of taxation.
(3)
The Board of Finance shall cause the recommended budget, in summary
form, and the recommended rate of taxation to be published in a newspaper
having general circulation within the Town at least 10 but no more
than 20 days before the date of the Annual Town Meeting.
F.
The Annual Town Meeting.
(1)
The Town Meeting, at the Annual Town Meeting, shall consider the
recommendations of the Board of Finance, and may, by amendment made
and seconded, and approved by those in attendance, reduce (but not
increase) the Board of Education's total recommended budget;
individual line items in the Board of Selectmen's recommended
budget; and the debt service recommended appropriation. The Town Meeting
may not authorize any appropriation for any purpose which was not
requested by either the Board of Education or the Board of Selectmen
nor recommended by the Board of Finance. The Town Meeting may not
reduce any proposed appropriation (the "proposed appropriation") below
that amount equal to the legal obligation of the Town nor reduce the
employer's pension or other post-employment benefits contributions
below the actuarially calculated annual required contributions.
(2)
Voting on the budget shall be by machine voting. Each voter may vote
(a) to approve the budget, (b) to reject the budget because it is
too high, or (c) to reject the budget because it is too low.
(3)
The budget shall become the appropriation of the Town for the ensuing
fiscal year unless at least 15% of the electors of the Town vote and
a majority of those voting vote to reject the budget either because
it is too high or because it is too low. If the budget is approved
after amendment, the Board of Finance shall set the recommended rate
of taxation for the ensuing fiscal year, reduced to reflect such amendment.
A.
Reconsidered
budget.
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The Board of Finance shall consult with the Board of Selectmen and the Board of Education and then recommend a reconsidered budget and reconsidered rate of taxation to a Reconvened Annual Town Meeting. [The Board of Finance may reduce or increase any proposed appropriation when formulating such reconsidered budget, subject, however, to the rights of the Board of Selectmen to override any reduction or increase of a proposed line item appropriation by at least four votes and while making adjustments to its overall proposed appropriation as provided in § C-30E(2) above.] For this meeting, the Board of Selectmen shall set a place, time, and date within 25 days of the previous vote. At least five days in advance of this meeting, a notice shall be published in the local newspaper together with the reconsidered budget and reconsidered rate of taxation.
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B.
Reconvened
Annual Town Meeting.
(1)
The Town Meeting at the Reconvened Annual Town Meeting may approve
the reconsidered budget or reduce (but not increase) one or more of
the proposed appropriations, but may not reject the reconsidered budget.
No appropriation may be reduced below the legal obligation of the
Town. The employer's pension or other post-employment benefits
contributions may not be reduced below the actuarially calculated
annual required contributions. If there are no amendments, the reconsidered
budget shall be final.
(2)
If the Reconvened Annual Town Meeting amends the reconsidered budget,
machine voting shall take place, at which time voters will have two
choices:
(3)
The reconsidered budget, prior to any amendment, will be the budget
of the Town for the ensuing fiscal year unless at least 15% of the
electors of the Town vote and a majority of those voting vote in favor
of the budget as amended at the Reconvened Annual Town Meeting, in
which case such amended budget will be the budget of the Town for
such year. The Board of Finance shall then set the recommended rate
of taxation, reduced to reflect the amendment to the reconsidered
budget.
A.
Requests
for supplemental appropriations.
(1)
If any department or organization of the Town, other than the Board
of Education, shall need more funds than have been appropriated to
it, it shall request the additional funds from the Board of Selectmen.
If the Board of Selectmen agrees that more funds are needed the Board
of Selectmen may request a supplemental general fund appropriation
from the Board of Finance to meet such needs. Similarly, if the Board
of Education determines that it needs more funds than have been appropriated
to it, the Board of Education may request that the Board of Finance
authorize such a supplemental appropriation.
B.
Action
of Board of Finance upon request for supplemental appropriation.
(1)
The Board of Finance shall act upon any request for a supplemental
appropriation (the "supplemental appropriation") within 30 days after
receipt of the same. For these purposes the Board of Finance shall
be deemed to have received such a request at its first meeting after
the date a written request for the supplemental appropriation is delivered
to its chairman or clerk.
(2)
The Board of Finance may authorize the supplemental appropriation
provided that the amount of the supplemental appropriation shall not
exceed 1% of the total annual budget for the Town for the then-current
fiscal year, and the total amount of any and all supplemental appropriations
authorized by such Board in respect of such budget shall not exceed
2% of such budget.
C.
Referral
to the Town Meeting of a request for a supplemental appropriation
approved by the Board of Finance.
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The Board of Selectmen shall call a Special Town Meeting by legal notice as specified in § C-7B of the time, date and place of the Special Town Meeting and the adjourned vote, and forward to the Town Meeting for its consideration any request for a supplemental appropriation that the Board of Finance endorses but which it cannot grant due to the amount requested and the amount of any previous requests it may have granted. Such Special Town Meeting shall take place within 30 days of the date the Board of Finance endorses such supplemental appropriation.
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D.
Referral
to the Town Meeting of a request for a supplemental appropriation
not approved by the Board of Finance.
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The Board of Selectmen shall call a Special Town Meeting by legal notice as specified in § C-7B of the time, date and place of the Special Town Meeting and the adjourned vote, and forward to the Town Meeting any request for a supplemental appropriation that the Board of Finance does not approve in its entirety within 30 days of its receipt of the same (other than a request made by the Board of Selectmen which it subsequently decides to withdraw). Such Town Meeting shall take place within 30 days of the date the Board of Finance fails to approve such supplemental appropriation, in full or in part, or by failing to take action. The Board of Selectmen may, in its discretion, call a public hearing and may, in such case, extend such time limitation for as long as 90 days between the receipt of the original request by the Board of Finance and the subsequent Special Town Meeting. Not less than seven nor more than 15 days in advance of the date set for such a public hearing, the Board of Selectmen shall publish in a newspaper having general circulation in the Town a notice of the date, time and place of the public hearing and a summary of the request or proposal. At the public hearing the Board making the request or proposal shall report on its reasons for making the same, and the Board of Finance shall report on the reasons for its action or failure to act.
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E.
Actions
of Town Meeting at a Special Town Meeting called to consider request
for a supplemental appropriation.
(1)
The Town Meeting shall have no power to amend the amount of any supplemental
appropriation, but may impose, by amendment, any modifications to
the request as are not inconsistent with the call to the meeting or
incompatible with the purpose of the request. After reasonable discussion
and after any such amendments have been proposed and either adopted
or rejected, the Special Town Meeting shall adjourn for machine voting.
(2)
As to any supplemental appropriation endorsed by the Board of Finance,
a simple majority of those members of the Town Meeting voting shall
be required to authorize such supplemental appropriation. As to any
supplemental appropriation not endorsed by the Board of Finance, a
simple majority of those members of the Town Meeting voting must cast
votes approving the supplemental appropriation, and at least 15% of
the electors of the Town must vote in order for such supplemental
appropriation to be authorized.
A.
The
Board of Selectmen, and only the Board of Selectmen, shall have the
power to propose the issuance of bonds to the Town Meeting.
B.
The
Board of Selectmen shall refer any proposal for the issuance of bonds
to the Board of Finance for its review not less than 15 days in advance
of the meeting of the Town Meeting at which such proposal is to be
considered. Should the Board of Finance object to any aspect of said
proposal, it shall report its reasons therefor to the Town Meeting.
The Town Meeting may not amend any such proposal for the issuance
of bonds.
C.
Immediately following the adjournment of the meeting of the Town
Meeting at which the Board of Selectmen's proposal for the issuance
of bonds is to be considered, the voters shall have the opportunity
to vote for or against such proposal by machine voting. The resolution
shall be adopted if approved by a majority of those voting and shall
otherwise be rejected.
D.
Whenever the Town Meeting has authorized the issuance of bonds by
the Town, the Treasurer is authorized to make temporary borrowings
in anticipation of the receipt of the proceeds of said bonds. Notes
evidencing such borrowings shall be signed by the First Selectman
and Treasurer, have the seal of the Town affixed and be certified
by a bank or trust company designated by the First Selectman and Treasurer,
which bank or trust company may be designated as the paying agent.
Any such notes shall be general obligations of the Town for which
the full faith and credit of the Town are pledged to the payment of
the principal thereof and the interest thereon.
E.
Whenever a project financed by the issuance of bonds has been completed,
the First Selectman shall certify to the Board of Finance that the
work for which the bonds were authorized and issued has been completed
and that the Town's financial obligations as to the project have
been met.
F.
Should a project financed by the issuance of bonds have been completed
and all obligations met, any surplus bond proceeds shall be transferred
by the Treasurer to the general fund to pay debt service on outstanding
bonds, unless the Board of Selectmen requests the Board of Finance
to redesignate all or part of such surplus to a project or projects
for which there is authorized but unissued debt and the Board of Finance
acts favorably upon such request. The amount of any such redesignation
may not exceed the amount of such authorized but unissued debt.
A.
Every
appropriation from the General Fund of the Town, except for an appropriation
for a capital expenditure, shall lapse at the close of the fiscal
year in respect of which it has first been appropriated, except to
the extent it has been expended or encumbered. An appropriation from
the General Fund for a capital expenditure shall continue in force
until the Board of Finance determines that the purpose for which it
was made has been accomplished or abandoned. These provisions shall
not apply to any municipal reserve fund established pursuant to Chapter
108 of the General Statutes, as amended.
B.
Notwithstanding
any other provision of this Charter to the contrary, the Board of
Finance shall have the power to apportion the payment of any capital
expenditure over any period of no more than five years in accordance
with Connecticut General Statutes § 7-346 or corresponding
successor legislation.
