There shall be a Finance Committee consisting
of nine legal voters of the Town who shall be appointed as hereinafter
provided. No elected or appointed officer shall be eligible to serve
on the Finance Committee.
The Moderator of the Town Meeting, when this
chapter is adopted shall, within 30 days after such chapter becomes
effective, appoint three members of said Finance Committee for terms
of one year, three members for terms of two years and three members
for terms of three years. At each Annual Town Meeting thereafter,
the Moderator thereof shall appoint three members of said Finance
Committee for terms of three years. The terms of office of said members
shall commence immediately upon qualifications and shall expire at
the close of final adjournment of the Annual Town Meeting at which
their successors are appointed. Said Finance Committee shall choose
its own officers and shall serve without pay, except for the Secretary
of the Finance Committee who may receive such compensation as the
Town may by vote provide. Said Secretary shall cause to be kept a
true record of the Committee's proceedings.
The Finance Committee shall fill any vacancy
which may occur in its membership by majority vote of its members,
and an attested copy of such vote shall be sent by the Finance Committee's
Secretary to the Town Clerk. If any member is absent from five consecutive
meetings of the Finance Committee, except in case of illness, his
position shall be deemed to be vacant and shall be filled as hereinafter
provided. The term of office of any person so chosen to fill a vacancy
on the Finance Committee shall expire at the final adjournment of
the next annual Town Meeting, and the Moderator thereof shall appoint
a successor to complete the unexpired term of the Finance Committee
member in whose office such vacancy originally occurred.
All articles in any warrant for every Town Meeting
shall be referred to the Finance Committee for its consideration.
The Selectmen, or their authorized agent, after drawing any such warrant,
shall transmit a copy thereof by certified mail, return receipt requested,
or delivery by hand to the Chairperson of the Finance Committee, who
shall sign a written acknowledgement of receipt for said documents.
It shall be the responsibility of the chairperson to distribute copies
of said warrant to each Finance Committee member. The Finance Committee
shall then hold a public hearing at least 14 days before such Town
Meetings, upon all articles, and a notice of such public hearing shall
be given by posting a copy thereof in at least one public place in
each precinct in the Town, and by advertising at least one time in
that local newspaper having the largest circulation in Town. After
due consideration of the subject matter of the articles in the warrant,
the Finance Committee shall make available in the Town Hall at least
eight days before the financial part of said meeting their recommendations.
It is recommended that the Finance Committee shall at least five days
prior to the financial part of the meeting, conduct a public informational
Pre-Town Meeting and shall make such recommendations as it deems best
to serve the interest of the Town.
It shall be the duty of the Finance Committee
annually not only to consider the expenditures of all of the various
municipal departments in previous years but also to consider the estimated
requirements of the ensuing year of all of the various boards, officers,
committees and departments of the Town as prepared by the Town Accountant
in such form and detail as may be prescribed by the Finance Committee
for their due and serious consideration. The Finance Committee shall
then add to such a statement of expenditures and estimates, another
or third column entitled "Recommendations" giving the amounts which,
in the opinion of the Finance Committee, should be appropriated for
the ensuing year and the Finance Committee shall further add thereto
such explanations and suggestions relating to the proposed appropriations
as it may deem expedient and proper.
[Added by 11-8-1999 STM, Art. 14;
amended 5-31-2016 ATM, Art. 17]
The Capital Outlay Committee, as defined in § C6-2 of the Blackstone Town Charter, shall make recommendations on all articles that fall within the classification of capital items. All articles on any Town Meeting Warrant regarding any expenditure in excess of $35,000 on an item having a useful life of five years or more shall not be acted upon by the Town Meeting unless and until those articles have received a recommendation by the Capital Outlay Committee.
In performing its duties, the Finance Committee
shall have free access to all books of records and accounts, bills
and vouchers on which money has been or may be paid from the Town
treasury. All officers, boards, committees and departments of the
Town shall, upon request, furnish the Finance Committee with facts,
figures and any other information pertaining to the efficient fulfillment
of their duties.
