2009 SESSION
06/04
HOUSE BILL 377
AN ACT relative to extending certain dates for town budget preparation.
SPONSORS: Rep. E. Anderson, Merr 13; Rep. DeStefano, Merr 13; Rep. Walz, Merr 13
COMMITTEE: Municipal and County Government
This bill extends certain dates for town budget preparation.
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Explanation: Matter added to current law appears in bold italics.
Matter removed from current law appears [in brackets and struckthrough.]
Matter which is either (a) all new or (b) repealed and reenacted appears in regular type.
09-0686
06/04
STATE OF NEW HAMPSHIRE
In the Year of Our Lord Two Thousand Nine
AN ACT relative to extending certain dates for town budget preparation.
Be it Enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives in General Court convened:
1 Budget Preparation. Amend RSA 32:5, I to read as follows:
I. The governing body, or the budget committee if there is one, shall hold at least one public hearing on each budget, not later than [25] 45 days before each annual or special meeting, public notice of which shall be given at least 7 days in advance, and after the conclusion of public testimony shall finalize the budget to be submitted to the legislative body. Public hearings on bonds and notes in excess of $100,000 shall be held in accordance with RSA 33:8-a, I. Days shall be counted in accordance with RSA 21:35.
2 Duties and Authority of the Budget Committee. Amend RSA 32:16, IV to read as follows:
IV. To forward copies of the final budgets to the clerk or clerks, as required by RSA 32:5, VI, and, in addition, to deliver 2 copies of such budgets and recommendations upon special warrant articles to the respective governing body or bodies at least [20] 40 days before the date set for the annual or special meeting, to be posted with the warrant.
3 Town or Village District Managers; Powers and Duties in Particular. Amend RSA 37:6, V to read as follows:
V. To keep the selectmen fully advised as to the needs of the town, within the scope of his duties, and to furnish them on [or before the thirty-first day of January of] a date voted by a majority of the governing body each year a careful, detailed estimate in writing of the probable expenditures of the town government for the ensuing fiscal year, stating the amount required to meet the interest on maturing bonds and notes or other outstanding indebtedness of the town, and showing specifically the amount necessary to be provided for each fund and department; and to submit at the same time an estimate in writing of the amount of income from all sources of revenue, exclusive of taxes upon property, and of the probable amount required to be levied and raised by taxation to defray all expenses and liabilities of the town. For the purpose of enabling the town manager to make up the annual estimate of expenditures, all boards, officers, and committees of the town shall, upon his written request, furnish all information in their possession and submit to him in writing a detailed estimate of the appropriations required for the efficient and proper conduct of their respective departments during the fiscal year.
4 Time for Holding Town Meetings; Articles. Amend RSA 39:3 to read as follows:
39:3 Articles. Upon the written application of 25 or more registered voters or 2 percent of the registered voters in town, whichever is less, although in no event shall fewer than 10 registered voters be sufficient, presented to the selectmen or one of them not later than the [fifth] seventh Tuesday before the day prescribed for an annual meeting, the selectmen shall insert in their warrant for such meeting the petitioned article with only such minor textual changes as may be required. For the purposes of this section, the number of registered voters in a town shall be the number of voters registered prior to the last state general election. The right to have an article inserted in the warrant conferred by this section shall not be invalidated by the provisions of RSA 32. In towns with fewer than 10,000 inhabitants upon the written application of 50 or more voters or 1/4 of the voters in town, whichever is fewer, and in towns with 10,000 or more inhabitants upon the written application of 5 percent of the registered voters in the town, so presented not less than 60 days before the next annual meeting, the selectmen shall warn a special meeting to act upon any question specified in such application. The checklist for an annual or special town meeting shall be corrected by the supervisors of the checklist as provided in RSA 654:25-31. Those persons qualified to vote whose names are on the corrected checklist shall be entitled to vote at the meeting. The same checklist used at a recessed town meeting shall be used at any reconvened session of the same town meeting. In no event shall a special town meeting be held on the biennial election day.
5 Town Meetings; Posting Warrant. Amend RSA 39:5 to read as follows:
39:5 Posting Warrant. The selectmen may address their warrant to the voters of the town, in which case they shall post an attested copy of such warrant at the place of meeting, and a like copy at one other public place in the town, at least [14] 30 days before the day of meeting. The [14] 30 days shall not include the day of posting nor the day of the meeting, but shall include any Saturdays, Sundays, and legal holidays within the said period.
6 Effective Date. This act shall take effect 60 days after its passage.