Exciting enhancements are coming soon to eCode360! Learn more 🡪
Town of Falmouth, MA
Barnstable County
By using eCode360 you agree to be legally bound by the Terms of Use. If you do not agree to the Terms of Use, please do not use eCode360.
Table of Contents
Table of Contents
Code
New Laws (2) Index
A. 
The Town Manager shall develop and annually revise a long-range general financial plan for the Town. The plan shall project anticipated revenues from all sources, provide projections relating to the Town's future debt obligations and identify anticipated municipal problems likely to require major expenditures in the future.
[Amended ATE 5-15-2007, Question 12]
B. 
The financial plan shall be reviewed by the Select Board and Finance Committee and adopted by the Select Board with or without amendments.
[Amended ATE 5-19-2020, Question 3]
[1]
Editor's Note: Former § C8-2, Finance Committee, was repealed ATE 5-19-2020, Question 5. See now § C2-15.
A. 
On or before the first day of October each year, the Town Manager shall request and receive from all financial officers the estimated revenues for the next fiscal year.
[Amended ATE 5-15-2007, Question 12]
B. 
Upon receipt by the financial officers of any additional specific fiscal data provided by the Commonwealth or from any other source, such estimates shall be revised, updated and submitted forthwith to the Town Manager.
[Amended ATE 5-15-2007, Question 12]
C. 
On or before the first day of November of each year, the Select Board, after consulting with the Town Manager, shall issue a policy statement relating to the budget for the next fiscal year. The statement shall establish the outer limits of possible budget growth for the Town.
[Amended ATE 5-15-2007, Question 12; ATE 5-19-2020, Question 3]
D. 
All department heads and governmental bodies shall submit their budget requests to the Town Manager on or prior to the first day of December each year. The budget request submitted by the School Committee shall be submitted in sufficient time, and in sufficient detail, to enable the Town Manager to assess the probable impact of the School Department's budget upon the total Town budget.
[Amended ATE 5-15-2007, Question 12]
E. 
On or prior to the first day of January of each year, the Town Manager shall submit to the Select Board a comprehensive budget for all Town functions for the ensuing fiscal year and an accompanying budget message.
[Amended ATE 5-15-2007, Question 12; ATE 5-19-2020, Question 3]
F. 
The budget message shall explain the budget both in fiscal terms and in terms of what specific projects are contemplated in the year ahead. It shall:
(1) 
Outline the proposed financial policies of the Town for the ensuing fiscal year.
(2) 
Describe the important features of the budget.
(3) 
Indicate any major changes from the current year in financial policies, expenditures and revenues, together with the reasons for such changes.
(4) 
Summarize the Town's debt position.
(5) 
Include such other material as the Town Manager may deem appropriate.
[Amended ATE 5-15-2007, Question 12]
G. 
The budget shall provide a complete financial plan for all Town funds and activities in such format as the Finance Committee may suggest, provided the format suggested is compatible with the standards recommended by the State Association of Finance Committees. The budget shall indicate proposed expenditures for both current operations and capital improvements during the ensuing fiscal year, detailed by departments, offices, governmental bodies and specific purposes and projects.
H. 
The Finance Committee shall annually review the salaries of all elected officials and make recommendations to the Town Meeting.
[Amended ATE 5-15-2007, Question 6; ATE 5-19-2020, Question 3]
[Amended ATE 5-15-2007, Question 12; ATE 5-19-2020, Question 3]
A. 
The Select Board shall within fifteen (15) days adopt the budget, with or without recommendations, and submit it to the Finance Committee on or before the 16th day of January of each year. The Select Board shall also transmit the budget request of the School Committee to the Finance Committee.
B. 
The Finance Committee shall conduct at least one (1) public hearing on the proposed budget and shall issue printed recommendations and detailed explanations on all financial articles in an annual Finance Committee report, which shall be mailed or distributed to the residences of all members of the Town Meeting at least fourteen (14) days prior to any scheduled Town Meeting. In preparing its recommendations, the Committee may require the Town Manager or any Town department, office or any governmental body to furnish it with appropriate financial reports and budgetary information.
C. 
The Select Board shall be responsible for presenting the budget to the Town Meeting.
[Amended ATE 5-19-2020, Question 3]
The Town Meeting shall adopt the budget, with or without amendments, prior to the beginning of the fiscal year.
A. 
The Town Manager shall prepare a five-year Capital Improvements Plan consistent with the Strategic Plan and the Local Comprehensive Plan which shall include a clear summary of its contents; a list of all capital improvements proposed to be undertaken during the next five (5) fiscal years, together with supporting data; cost estimates, methods of financing and recommended time schedules; and the estimated annual cost of operating and maintaining the facilities or equipment to be constructed or acquired. The above information shall be revised and extended each year with regard to capital improvements pending or in the process of construction or acquisition.
[Amended ATE 5-15-2007, Question 12; ATE 5-17-2022, Question 8]
B. 
The Capital Improvements Plan shall be submitted to the Select Board on or before the 15th day of December of each year. The Board shall act thereon within thirty (30) days and shall then submit it to the Finance Committee, which shall issue its recommendations to the Town Meeting.
[Amended ATE 5-19-2020, Question 3]
The Finance Committee shall publish, in one (1) or more newspapers of general circulation in the Town, the general summary of the Capital Improvements Plan and a notice stating:
A. 
The time and places where copies of the Capital Improvements Plan are available for inspection.
B. 
The date, time and place, not less than seven (7) days following such publication, when the Committee shall conduct a public hearing on said plan. The public hearing shall be conducted at least thirty (30) days prior to the Town Meeting at which the capital budget is acted upon.
Except as otherwise provided by General Laws or bylaw, all moneys and fees received by any department, officer or governmental body shall be paid forthwith into the Town treasury.
Every appropriation, except an appropriation for a capital expenditure, shall lapse at the close of the fiscal year to the extent that it has not been expended or encumbered. An appropriation for capital expenditure shall continue in force until the purpose for which it was made has been accomplished or abandoned, after which any funds remaining in the appropriation shall be returned to the general fund by the Town Accountant. The purpose of any such appropriations shall be deemed abandoned if three (3) years pass without any disbursement from or encumbrance of the appropriation.
The budget and Capital Improvements Plan shall be public records, and copies shall be kept available for inspection at the office of the Town Clerk and at the Falmouth Library.