The president of the town council shall call
a joint meeting of the town council and school committee prior to
the commencement of the budget process to review the financial condition
of the town, revenue and expenditure forecasts and other relevant
information in order to develop a coordinated budget. The town manager
and superintendent of schools shall be required to develop an annual
policy agreement on the allocation of the projected revenue between
the general government operations and the school department operations.
Said agreement shall be subject to review of the school committee
and the town council.
Within the period prescribed by the laws of
the Commonwealth, the town manager shall submit to the town council
a proposed operating budget for all town agencies, which shall include
the school budget as adopted by the school committee, for the ensuing
fiscal year with an accompanying budget message and supporting documents.
The budget message submitted by the town manager shall explain the
budget in fiscal terms and in terms of work programs for all town
agencies. It shall outline the proposed fiscal policies of the town
for the ensuing fiscal year; describe important features of the proposed
budget and indicate any major variations from the current budget,
fiscal policies, expenditures and revenues together with reasons for
such change. The proposed budget shall provide a complete fiscal plan
of all town funds and activities and shall be in the form the town
manager deems desirable.
The budget as adopted by the school committee
shall be submitted to the town manager at least thirty days prior
to the submission of the proposed budget to the town council.
(a)
Public Hearing. The town council shall publish in
a newspaper of general circulation in the town a summary of the proposed
operating budget as submitted by the town manager by a notice stating:
(1) the times and places where copies of the entire proposed budget
are available for inspection by the public, and (2) the date, time
and place not less than fourteen days after such publication, when
a public hearing on said proposed budget will be held by the town
council. For the purpose of this section the summary of the proposed
operating budget that is required to be published shall contain proposed
appropriations, funding sources and any narrative summary deemed necessary
by the town council.
(b)
Adoption of the Budget. The town council shall adopt
the budget, with or without amendments, within forty-five days following
the date the budget is filed with the clerk of the council. In amending
the budget, the town council may delete or decrease any programs or
amounts except expenditures required by law or for debt service, but
except on the recommendation of the town manager, the town council
shall not increase any item in or the total of the proposed budget,
unless otherwise authorized by the laws of the Commonwealth.
If the town council fails to take action with
respect to any item in the budget within forty-five days after receipt
of the budget, such amount shall, without any action by the town council
become a part of the appropriations for the year, and be available
for the purposes specified.
Whenever the town manager shall submit to the town council a request for an appropriation of any sum of money, whether as a supplement to the annual operating budget or for an item or items not included therein, the town council shall not act upon such request until it has (a) given notice by publication in a local newspaper of the request, and (b) held a public hearing concerning such request. The publication and the public hearing shall be in conformity with the provisions of section 6-3(a) concerning the proposed annual operating budget.
(a)
Preparation. The town manager shall, in conjunction
with any committee established for such purpose, annually submit a
capital improvement program to the town council at least thirty days
prior to the date for submission of the operating budget, unless some
other time is provided by ordinance.
(b)
Contents. The capital improvement plan shall include:
(1) a clear summary of its contents; (2) an itemization of all capital
improvements, including those of the school department, proposed to
be undertaken during the next five fiscal years with supporting data;
(3) cost estimates, method of financing, and recommended time schedules;
and, (4) the estimated annual cost of operating and maintaining the
facilities included.
(c)
Public Hearing. The town council shall publish in
a newspaper of general circulation in the town a summary of the capital
improvement plan and a notice stating: (1) the times and places where
entire copies of the capital improvement plan are available for inspection
by the public; and, (2) the date, time and place not less than fourteen
days after such publication, when a public hearing on said plan will
be held by the town council.
(d)
Adoption. At any time after the public hearing but
before the first day of the last month of the current fiscal year,
the town council shall by resolution adopt the capital improvement
plan with or without amendment, provided that each amendment must
be voted separately and that any increase in the capital improvement
plan as submitted must clearly identify the method of financing proposed
to accomplish this increase.
[Amended 11-7-2017]
The town manager shall annually prepare a 5
year financial forecast of town revenue, expenditures and the general
financial condition of the town. The forecast shall include, but not
be limited to, an identification of factors which will impact on the
financial condition of the town, revenue and expenditure trends; potential
sources of new or expanded revenues and any long or short term actions
which may be taken that will enhance the financial condition of the
town. The forecast shall be submitted to the town council and shall
be available to the public for inspection.
The town council shall provide for an annual
audit of the books and accounts of the town to be made by a certified
public accountant, or firm of accountants, who have no personal interest,
direct or indirect, in fiscal affairs of the town government or any
of its offices.
The town council may by ordinance establish
reasonable standards relating to the management of financial systems
and practices. Any standards adopted shall conform to modern concepts
of financial management.