The fiscal year of the Town shall begin on the first day of July and shall end on the last day of June of the next calendar year.
It shall be the duty of the First Selectman to compile preliminary estimates for the annual budget. The head of each board, commission, department, agency, or office of the Town supported wholly or in part from town funds, or for which a specific town appropriation is made shall file with the First Selectman, on a date set by him and on forms provided by him, a detailed estimate of the expenditures to be made by that board, commission, department, agency, or office. He shall also estimate the revenue, other than tax revenues, to be collected thereby in the ensuing fiscal year. Such estimates shall be accompanied by a statement setting forth, in narrative or such form as the First Selectman may prescribe, a program or programs showing services, activities and work accomplished during the ensuing year.
The First Selectman shall present to the Board, on a date specified by them, a budget consisting of:
A. 
a statement outlining the important features of the proposed budget plan;
B. 
estimates of revenues, presenting in parallel columns the itemized receipts collected in the last completed fiscal year, the receipts estimated to be collected during the current fiscal year, and the estimates of the receipts, other than from the property tax, to be collected in the ensuing fiscal year;
C. 
itemized expenditures for each board, commission, department, agency, or office for the last completed fiscal year and total expenditures as estimated for the current fiscal year, the requests of the several boards and agencies for the ensuing fiscal year and the First Selectman's recommendations for the ensuing fiscal year for all items.
The First Selectman shall present reasons for all his recommendations.
As a part of the annual budget proposal or as a separate report attached thereto, the First Selectman shall present a program concerning proposed municipal capital improvement projects for the ensuing fiscal year and for the four fiscal years thereafter. The First Selectman shall recommend to the Board of Selectmen those projects to be undertaken in the ensuing fiscal year and a method for financing same.
No later than the first Monday of March, the Board shall present the completed budget proposal as prepared by the First Selectman and including such alterations or changes as they deem necessary to the Board of Finance. The Board shall provide as a part thereof a clear general summary statement outlining the policies and priorities of the Town and describing the important features of the proposal, indicating any major changes from the current fiscal year in financial policies, expenditures and revenues, together with the reasons for such changes.
(Amended November 6, 2012, effective December 6, 2012)
Following receipt of the Town's Budget Proposal from the Board and the Board of Education's budget after approval by Town referendum, the Board of Finance shall analyze the Town's budget proposal and make changes it deems necessary. Upon request, the department heads shall meet with the Board of Finance for the purpose of reviewing their proposed budgets. The Board of Finance is authorized to make changes to the Town's budget proposal to fulfill its fiduciary responsibilities. The Board will have the ability to review the final proposed budget prior to the Annual Town Budget Meeting. Any concerns will be discussed and reconciled between the Board and the Board of Finance prior to the Annual Town Budget Meeting.
The Board of Finance shall prepare the annual budget proposal for the Annual Town Budget Meeting. The Board of Finance shall hold one or more public hearings at least ten days before the Annual Town Budget Meeting, at which any elector or taxpayer shall have an opportunity to be heard regarding the annual budget proposal of the Town for the ensuing fiscal year.
At least five days prior to the aforementioned public hearing(s):
(a) sufficient copies of said budget proposals shall be made available for general distribution in the office of the Town Clerk; and, (b) the Board of Finance shall cause to be published in a newspaper having substantial circulation in the Town, a notice of such public hearing.
Following the holding of such public hearing(s), the Board of Finance shall make such revisions in the proposed budget as it deems desirable and shall recommend the same to the Annual Town Budget Meeting. The Annual Town Budget Meeting shall be held on the first Tuesday in June. At least five days prior to the Annual Town Budget Meeting: (a) sufficient copies of said budget proposal shall be made available for general distribution in the office of the Town Clerk; and, (b) the Board of Finance shall cause to be published in a newspaper having substantial circulation in the Town a notice of such Annual Town Budget Meeting and a summary of the budget showing revenues by major sources and proposed expenditures by function or office.
The annual budget shall become effective when and as approved by a majority of those present and voting at the Annual Budget Meeting. No Appropriation shall be made exceeding that recommended by the Board of Finance for the same purpose and no appropriation shall be made for any purpose not recommended. By a majority of those present and voting at such meeting, an amount of money less than that recommended may be appropriated.
An official copy of the Annual Budget as approved shall be filed by the Board of Finance with the Town Clerk within one week following such approval. Should the Annual Town Budget Meeting disapprove the budget, a second Town Budget Meeting shall be called fourteen days thereafter. In the event that the second Annual Town Budget Meeting disapproves the budget, subsequent Town Budget Meetings shall be called at seven-day intervals until a budget is approved. Publication in the newspaper of subsequent budget proposals shall not be required.
Upon approval of the Town Budget, the Board of Finance shall, within five days, fix the tax rate in mills which shall be levied on the taxable property in the Town for the ensuing fiscal year. Should the Board of Finance fail to fix the rate within the time required, the rate shall be fixed by the Board within ten days of approval of the Town Budget.
(Amended November 6, 2012, effective December 6, 2012; Amended November 3, 2020, effective December 3, 2020)
The budget proposal submitted by the Board of Finance and the approval of the Annual Town Budget Meeting may include a recommendation for a contingency expense line item which shall not exceed one (1) percent of the total expenditures for the current fiscal year. No expenditures or transfers may be made from any such contingency expense line item without the approval of the Board of Finance.
(Amended November 6, 2012, effective December 6, 2012)
A. 
Municipal Reserve Fund. Upon the recommendation of the Board of Finance and the approval of the Annual Town Budget Meeting, a Municipal Reserve Fund for capital and nonrecurring expenses shall be established and used in accordance with the General Statutes. There shall be paid into the Municipal Reserve Fund:
(1) 
moneys, as determined by the Board of Finance, transferred thereto from the cash surplus available at the end of any fiscal year as a result of actual expenses being less than budgeted;
(2) 
moneys budgeted and approved at the Annual Town Budget Meeting to be added to the Municipal Reserve Account;
(3) 
moneys 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;
All such moneys 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 recommended by the Board and approved by the Board of Finance and the Town Meeting.
All or any portion of the Municipal Reserve Fund may be used to finance the planning, construction, reconstruction, acquisition of any specific item or equipment of such category, character, or nature as not to be a purpose or object for which an appropriation is customarily made annually. Such appropriations may be made only upon the recommendation of the Board and with the approval of the Board of Finance, and, if the appropriation increases the annual budget by more than .1%, with the approval of a duly called Town Meeting. The Town Meeting may decrease the designated amount(s) but may not increase the amount(s). The Town Meeting may make no special appropriation or transfer of funds not recommended by the Board and approved 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 Municipal Reserve Fund. Any appropriation set up to be drawn from the Municipal Reserve Fund may at any time subsequent to the effective date of this establishment, upon recommendation of the Board of Selectmen and approval of the Board of Finance, be terminated. If no expenditure from or encumbrance of any such appropriation has been made within a period of three fiscal years following the effective date of such appropriation, that appropriation shall be terminated. The fiscal year in which such appropriation was authorized shall be deemed the first fiscal year of the three-year period.
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 powers as provided in Chapter 108 of the General Statutes.
B. 
Named Reserves. Upon the recommendation of the Board of Finance and the approval at the Annual Town Budget Meeting, specific Named Reserve Fund(s) for anticipated expenditures for capital and nonrecurring expenses may be established. The purpose of each Named Reserve Fund shall be to reduce drastic increases and decreases in requests for capital or nonrecurring expenditure funding. There shall be paid into specific Named Reserved Funds:
(1) 
moneys, as determined by the Board of Finance, transferred thereto from the cash surplus available at the end of any fiscal year as a result of actual expenses being less than budgeted;
(2) 
moneys budgeted and approved at the Annual Town Budget Meeting to be added to the Named Reserve Fund;
(3) 
moneys, as determined by the Board of Finance, from the capital budget of the department that will incur the anticipated future expenditure.
The Board of Finance is authorized to transfer moneys from a Named Reserve Fund to either the General Fund, the Municipal Reserve Fund, or another Named Reserve Fund so long as the moneys transferred are not restricted and the Board of Finance determines that the moneys were no longer needed in the transferor account. The Board of Finance is authorized to close out a Named Reserve Fund it deems no longer needed and transfer any moneys therein to either the General Fund, the Municipal Reserve Fund, or another Named Reserved Fund.
(Amended November 6, 2012, effective December 6, 2012; Amended November 3, 2020, effective December 3, 2020)
No purchase of products, services and/or consultants, shall be made except upon the preapproval of the First Selectman or his authorized agents. Such purchases shall be made under such rules and regulations as may be established by the Board.
No voucher, claim or charge against the Town shall be paid until the same has been examined by the First Selectman and approved by him for correctness and legality. Checks shall be drawn for the payment of approved claims which shall be valid when signed by the First Selectman and countersigned by the Town Treasurer. In the absence or inability to act of either the First Selectman or the Town Treasurer with respect to the above duty, another Selectman is authorized to substitute temporarily for either but not both of them.
No board, commission, department, agency, officer, or employee of the Town shall be authorized to involve the Town in any obligation to spend money for any purpose in excess of their approved budget until the matter has been approved by the Board of Finance. Each order drawn upon the Town shall state the appropriation against which it is to be charged.
Upon recommendation of the Board, additional appropriations over and above the total budget may be made from time to time by the Board of Finance after a determination by them that there is available an unassigned and unencumbered general cash balance to meet such appropriation.
Any appropriation, in addition to the budget, of more than .1% of the annual budget shall become effective only after approval by the Board of Finance and passage at a Town Meeting, except that transfers from the Contingency Expense Line Item, Municipal Reserve Fund and Named Reserve Funds may be made by the Board of Finance upon the recommendation of the Treasurer.
All expenditures exceeding an amount to be determined by a Town Meeting shall be subject to competitive bidding. The Board, with input from the Board of Finance, will exercise primary responsibility for maintaining policy relative to requirements for quotes, bids, and other criteria to control purchasing and purchase orders.
For the purposes of meeting a public emergency threatening the lives, health or property of citizens, emergency appropriations, the cumulative total amount of which shall not exceed five percent of the current tax levy in that fiscal year, may be made.
Any payment made in violation of this Charter shall be deemed illegal and every official authorizing or making such payment or any part thereof shall be jointly and severally liable to the Town for the full amount so paid or received. Any appointive officer or employee of the Town who knowingly incurs any obligation or authorizes or makes any expenditure in violation of the provisions of this Charter or takes any part therein, may be removed for cause.
(Amended November 6, 2012, effective December 6, 2012; Amended November 3, 2020, effective December 3, 2020)
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 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.
The Board of Finance shall annually designate an independent certified public accountant or firm of independent certified public accountants to audit the books and accounts of the Town in accordance with the provisions of the General Statutes.
The Chairman of the Board of Finance shall be designated as the chief fiscal officer of the Town.