Revision: March 19, 2025, 10:13 a.m.
Rep. Pauer, Hills. 36
February 24, 2025
2025-0573h
07/05
Amendment to HB 200
Amend the bill by replacing section 1 with the following:
1 Municipal Budget Law; Method to Override Local Tax Cap. RSA 32:5-b, III is repealed and reenacted to read as follows:
III. The legislative body may override the cap by the usual procedures applicable to annual meetings of the legislative body, provided that: when a proposed appropriation will cause the amount of local taxes raised by the town or district to exceed the tax cap under this section or the total amount already raised and appropriated has caused the amount of local taxes raised by the town or district to exceed the tax cap under this section, voting on the appropriation question shall be by ballot, but the question shall not be placed on the official ballot used to elect officers, except in the case of a legislative body that uses an official ballot form of meeting under RSA 40:13 or under a charter adopted pursuant to RSA 49-D. If a 3/5 majority or the super majority as determined under a charter pursuant to RSA 49-D of those voting on the question vote "yes,'' the appropriation is approved. Only votes in the affirmative or negative shall be included in the calculation of the 3/5 majority or the super majority as determined under a charter pursuant to RSA 49-D.
(a) When using the official ballot form of meeting under RSA 40:13, if the warrant article for the operating budget results in appropriations exceeding the tax cap under this section and receives less than 3/5 majority “yes” vote, the adopted operating budget shall be reduced by appropriations already raised to remain compliant with the tax cap under this section.
(b) School districts shall place the warrant article for the SAU budget at the beginning of school district warrant, immediately after any warrant articles proposing bonds or notes. For school districts using a traditional meeting and when the outcome of the SAU budget vote is pending on balloting from the other school districts in the SAU, the higher of the school district's assigned portion of the proposed SAU budget or the school district's assigned portion of the adjusted SAU budget shall be assumed as raised and appropriated for the purpose of determining when the override provisions under paragraph III apply.