The fiscal year of the Town shall begin on the first day of
July and shall end on the thirtieth day of June.
The Board of Finance shall have all the powers and duties provided
by the General Statutes and this Charter. The Board of Finance shall
be the financial and budget-making authority of the Town, and shall
organize its work to provide:
(1)
Preparation of the Annual Town Budget for the following fiscal year,
(2)
Management and monitoring of the Annual Town Budget for the current
year,
(3)
Annual audit of the books and accounts of the Town by an independent
public accountant or firm of independent public accountants, as provided
in the General Statutes of the State of Connecticut,
(4)
Development of long-range financial planning for the Town in conjunction
with the Advisory Commission on Capital Expenditures,
(5)
Preparation and publication and distribution of the Town Report.
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Four members shall constitute a quorum and no vote, resolution
or other matter shall be approved by fewer than four affirmative votes.
The total number of all voting members, alternates plus regular members,
shall never be greater than six.
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The Board of Selectmen will receive from all offices, departments,
boards, committees or agencies of the Town dependent on the Annual
Town Budget for any portion of their operating income, excepting the
Board of Education, not later than 1 February a copy of their separate
itemized recommended Annual Town Budget for the ensuing year.
Not later than 1 March, the Board of Selectmen will present
to the Board of Finance a consolidated recommended Annual Town Budget,
containing such detail as required by the Board of Finance and outlining
the financial policy of the Town government, describing therein features
of the Annual Town Budget plan, indicating any major changes from
the current fiscal year and changes from those recommendations of
the several boards, commissions, and agencies with reasons therefor.
As a part of the Annual Town Budget, the Board of Selectmen shall
present a recommended program concerning municipal improvements or
proposed capital projects for the ensuing fiscal year and for five
years thereafter.
In preparing the consolidated recommended Annual Town Budget
the Board of Selectmen will effect such savings/budget reductions
as may result from centralized purchasing and bidding procedures as
have been outlined by the Board of Finance.
Preliminary discussions: at the beginning of each administration
and once a year prior to the determination of budgetary guidelines
for the ensuing fiscal year, the Board of Finance may request a meeting
with the Board of Selectmen for purposes of general discussion of
goals and financial commitments of all departments, boards, offices,
agencies and committees of the Town other than the Board of Education;
similarly, such meeting may be requested with the Board of Education.
Not later than the fifteenth day of January, the Board of Finance
will make known to the Chairmen of those boards, committees, and agencies
and offices of the Town dependent on the Annual Town Budget for any
portion of their operating income, such guidelines, forms, and requisites
as may direct and assist the preparation and presentation of their
respective budget proposals.
The Board of Finance will receive from the aforementioned boards,
committees, and agencies of the Town not later than February 1 their
separate itemized estimate of expenditures for the ensuing fiscal
year and will receive from the Board of Selectmen not later than March
1 the consolidated recommended Annual Town Budget for the Town, not
including the Board of Education. The budget proposal of the Board
of Education shall be presented to the Board of Finance not later
than the last Monday of March.
The Board of Finance will review the several and joint estimates
of expenditures; it will attempt to reconcile priorities, estimates,
and proposals through meetings with the Chairperson and First Selectman;
it will refine its review of the preliminary Annual Town Budget with
estimates of income and will prepare its own preliminary Annual Town
Budget which shall become the proposed Annual Town Budget. These actions
should be completed not later than May 1.
Not later than 14 days prior to the scheduled Annual Town Meeting
for Annual Town Budget Approval, the Board of Finance will hold at
least one public hearing at which time any elector or taxpayer shall
have the opportunity to be heard regarding appropriations for the
ensuing year. Printed copies of the proposed Annual Town Budget shall
be available at the office of the Town Clerk not less than 48 hours
prior to said hearing, and the Board may make such copies available
at such other locations and through distributions as it may prescribe.
Further, at least five days prior to the hearing, the Board will cause
to be published in a newspaper having a general circulation within
the Town a notice of that hearing, an abbreviated summary of proposed
Annual Town Budget estimates, and the estimated amount to be raised
by taxation.
After the hearing(s), the Board of Finance shall then revise
the preliminary Annual Town Budget if/as it deems desirable, and shall
prepare a final proposed Annual Town Budget which shall be filed with
the Town Clerk for presentation at the Town Meeting for its adoption.
Sufficient copies of the final proposed Annual Town Budget shall be
made available for distribution in the office of the Town Clerk at
least five days prior to the Annual Town Meeting for Annual Town Budget
Approval; further and again, at least five days prior to the Town
Meeting the final proposed Annual Town Budget shall be published in
accordance with the General Statutes.
Within 10 days after the adoption of the Annual Town Budget
the Board of Finance shall fix the tax rate in mills which shall be
levied on the taxable property in the Town for the ensuing fiscal
year.
Should the Town Meeting reject the proposed Annual Town Budget,
the procedures of § 1005 herein will prevail. (Approved
11-3-1992)
A.
The estimated expenditures submitted by the Board of Finance to the
Annual Town Budget Meeting may include a recommendation for a contingency
fund which shall not exceed 2% of the total expenditures for the current
fiscal year. No expenditures or transfers may be made from this fund
without the approval of the Board of Finance.
B.
Upon recommendation of the Board of Finance and approval by the Annual
Town Budget Meeting, a reserve fund for capital and nonrecurring expenses
may be established and used in accordance with the General Statutes.
(Approved 11-6-2001)
Upon recommendation of the Board of Finance and the approval
of the Annual Town Budget Meeting there shall be paid into the reserve
fund:
(1)
Monies transferred thereto from the general fund cash surplus available
at the end of any fiscal year;
(2)
Monies raised by annual levy of a tax not to exceed two mills for
the benefit of such fund, and for no other purpose, such tax to be
levied and collected in the same manner and at the same time as the
regular taxes of the Town;
(3)
Monies which are surplus cash funds already held in reserve and available
for such capital and nonrecurring expenditures as are contemplated/provided
in the following paragraphs. All such monies so accumulated together
with the interest which may accrue thereon shall be deposited in a
separate bank account by the Treasurer and shall be used for the purposes
of and in a manner prescribed by the Board of Finance and the Town
Meeting.
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All or any portion of the reserve fund may be used to finance
the planning, construction, reconstruction, or acquisition of any
specific item or equipment of such category, character, or nature
as not to be a purpose or object for which any appropriation is customarily
made annually. Such appropriation may be made only upon recommendation
of the Board of Finance and with the approval of a duly called Town
Meeting. The designated amount(s) may be decreased by the Town Meeting
but may not be increased.
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The Town Meeting may make no special appropriation or transfer
of funds not recommended by the Board of Finance. Upon such approval
of any project or acquisition, an appropriation shall be set up plainly
designated for the specific project or acquisition for which it was
approved, and such unexpended appropriation may continue, subject
to limitations hereinafter stated, until such project or acquisition
is completed. Any unexpended portion of the appropriation remaining
after completion shall revert to the reserve fund.
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Any appropriation set up to be drawn from the reserve fund may
at any time subsequent to the effective date of its establishment,
upon recommendation of the Board of Finance and approval of a Town
Meeting, be terminated. If no expenditure from or encumbrance of any
such appropriation has been made within a period of three fiscal years
next following the effective day of such appropriation, that appropriation
shall be terminated upon approval of a duly warned Town Meeting. The
fiscal year in which such appropriation was authorized shall be deemed
the first fiscal year of the three-year period.
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The Board of Finance, the Town Meeting, and any Town Official(s)
who may be concerned with the operation of this fund shall have any
and all further powers as provided in Chapter 108 of the General Statutes
necessary to implement and administer the operation of this fund and
not specifically granted herein.
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C.
Supplemental Appropriations are permitted for items not listed in
the approved Annual Town Budget or caused by serious budgetary deficiencies.
All requests for special appropriations shall be made in writing to
the Board of Selectmen. The Selectmen shall make their comments and
recommendations and, if appropriate, shall include the Treasurer's
recommendations on financing, and shall present the request to the
Board of Finance for action. The Board of Finance shall act on all
requests for supplemental appropriations and if such appropriation
is to be recommended will move for the call of the Town Meeting.
D.
For the purpose of meeting a public emergency threatening the lives,
health or property of citizens, emergency appropriations, the total
amount of which in any fiscal year shall not exceed 2% of the Annual
Town Budget, may be made by the Board of Finance by an affirmative
vote of not fewer than four members thereof, upon previous recommendation
of the Board of Selectmen. In the absence of sufficient available
unappropriated and unencumbered general fund resources to meet such
appropriations, additional means of financing shall be provided in
such a manner, consistent with the provisions of this Charter, as
may be determined by the Board of Finance.
E.
Initial applications for federal and state grants involving the expenditure
of Town funds, not otherwise requiring action by a Town Meeting, shall
require approval by the Board of Selectmen and Board of Finance. The
acceptance and appropriation of federal or state government grants
of an amount equal to 1/4 of 1% of the adopted Annual Town Budget
or less may be made by the Board of Finance and either the Board of
Selectmen or Board of Education without Town Meeting approval. (Approved
11-3-1987, Sec. 5; Approved 11-3-1992)
The Town shall have the power to incur indebtedness by issuing
its bonds or notes, subject to the limitations defined in the General
Statutes and the provisions of this Charter. The issuance of bonds
and notes, the terms of which are in excess of one year, except tax
anticipation notes, shall be authorized by resolution passed by majority
vote at a duly warned Town Meeting.
The Town may, however, borrow in anticipation of taxes an amount
not to exceed such taxes. The Town Treasurer, with the approval of
the Board of Selectmen and the concurrence of the Board of Finance,
is authorized and empowered to borrow money in anticipation of taxes
to be collected and to issue Town notes therefor, in amount not to
exceed one million dollars. The Town may borrow in anticipation of
taxes in excess of one million dollars but not to exceed such taxes,
upon recommendation of the Board of Finance and affirmative vote by
a majority of qualified voters present and voting at a duly warned
Town Meeting. Any amount borrowed in anticipation of taxes shall be
repaid within the same fiscal year.
The Town shall make no contributions to any organization or
private corporation except as herein provided. All contributions will
be deliberated with due consideration given to financial statements
of target organizations, agencies and corporations submitted in support
of the request for funds, and all approved contributions will be listed
as an integral part of the Town's Annual Budget.
A.
The Town's financial records shall be maintained in accordance
with generally accepted accounting principles as required by the General
Statutes.
B.
The Treasurer or his agent shall cause the amount of authorized purchases
and contracts for future purchases to be recorded as encumbrances
against the appropriations from which they are to be paid. Similarly,
in the management of the accounts for which it has been authorized
control, the Board of Education will apply like procedures.
C.
No expenditure and no commitment to make an expenditure shall be
made, caused to be made, or authorized by any officer, agent, or agency
of the Town, or by any Board or Commission of the Town unless an appropriation
shall have been made covering such an expenditure or commitment in
accordance with the provisions of this Charter.
D.
Each order drawn upon the Town shall state the department, commission,
board, agency or officer and the appropriation against which it is
to be charged.
E.
No voucher, claim or charge against the Town shall be paid until
the same has been audited for correctness and validity and approved
for payment by the Treasurer or his agent. The Board of Selectmen,
with input from the Board of Finance, will exercise primary responsibility
for formulation of policy relative to requirements for quotes, bids
and such other criteria as it may establish to control purchasing
and the accomplishment of purchase orders, and the Board of Finance,
will exercise oversight responsibilities over all boards, commissions,
and agencies of the Town.
Payment of all approved claims against the Board of Education
shall be first authorized by the Superintendent of Schools or his
agent and by a designated member of the Board of Education, which
authorization shall be valid when countersigned by the Treasurer or
his agent acting as the Treasurer. Similarly, approved claims against
the Water Pollution Control Authority shall first be authorized by
the Chairperson of the Authority or his agent and shall be valid when
countersigned by the Treasurer or his agent acting as the Treasurer.
Payment of all other Town accounts shall be authorized by the First
Selectman and one other member of the Board of Selectmen, which authorization
shall be valid when countersigned by the Treasurer or his agent acting
as the Treasurer, provided that in the absence of or the inability
to act of the First Selectman, any two of the remaining Selectmen
will be signatories of the authorization.
F.
Every payment made in violation of the provisions of this Charter
shall be deemed illegal, null and void, and every official willfully
authorizing or making such payment or taking part therein or receiving
any part thereof shall be jointly and severally liable to the Town
for full amount so paid or received.
G.
The Treasurer shall prescribe the time at which and the manner in
which persons receiving money on behalf of the Town shall pay the
same to him/her in his capacity as Town Treasurer.
H.
Upon request the Board of Selectmen during the final 30 days of the
fiscal year, the Board of Finance may by resolution, transfer any
unencumbered appropriation, balance or portion thereof from one department,
board, commission, agency or office to another; provided, however,
that this provision shall not apply to the appropriations allocated
to the Board of Education or to the Water Pollution Control Authority.
This paragraph does not pertain to utilization of the Town contingency
fund.
I.
Any portion of an annual appropriation remaining unexpended or unencumbered
at the close of the fiscal year shall lapse; provided, however, that
appropriations for construction or for the other permanent improvements
from whatever source derived, shall not lapse until the purpose for
which the appropriation was made shall have been accomplished or abandoned,
provided further that any such project shall have been deemed abandoned
if three fiscal years shall elapse without any expenditure from or
encumbrances of the appropriation therefor.
J.
The Board of Finance shall prescribe such periodic reporting of income
and encumbrance and expenditures from all Town Agencies dependent
on the Annual Town Budget for any portion of their income as it deems
necessary.
K.
The Board of Selectmen in conjunction with the Board of Finance shall
be responsible for developing a written policy to provide for centralized
purchasing in an efficient manner, using competitive bidding to the
maximum extent practicable.
The First Selectman shall be responsible for ensuring compliance
with such written policy and shall inform the Board of Finance of
the extent of compliance with such a policy on at least a semiannual
basis. The Board of Finance shall consider compliance of each office,
board and commission with such policy in preparing and approving the
Annual Town Budget for the upcoming fiscal year.
