The text
Sec. 401. - Fiscal year.#
The fiscal year of the town shall begin on the first day of July of each year.
Sec. 402. - Submission of estimates.#
No later than the first Monday in February of each year, estimates of proposed expenditures for the ensuing fiscal year and all requests for inclusion in the capital budget shall be submitted to the town treasurer by the head of each department, board or other agency, whose activities are to be supported in whole or in part by town funds during the said fiscal year, provided, however, that the school committee shall make such submissions of estimates and capital requests no later than the first Monday in March. Such estimates shall be accompanied by explanations and supporting information as the town treasurer shall prescribe. Such estimates and explanations shall be public documents. Following the submission of estimates to the town treasurer as aforesaid, the council may require the head of any town department, board or other agency to attend one or more of its meetings for the purpose of explaining, answering questions and supplying any requested information regarding the estimates he or she had submitted.
Sec. 403. - Submission of budget to the council.#
No later than the third Monday in March of each year, the town treasurer shall cause copies of the budget recommendations to be delivered to each member of the town council, and shall file one copy with the town clerk to be available for public inspection. His recommendations shall include an estimate of funds on hand and obligations pending as of the beginning of the new fiscal year, estimates of revenue anticipated together with his revenue and tax proposals, recommended expenditures divided into an operating budget and capital budget, and such supporting explanations and information as he or she may deem appropriate or the council shall have requested. In preparing the budget, the town treasurer shall have the authority in consultation with the town administrator, to alter the estimates submitted as he or she shall see fit, provided that only the total amount requested by the school committee may be altered.
Sec. 404. - Preliminary council consideration.#
The council shall consider the budget recommendations submitted by the town treasurer and shall, no later than the third Monday in April, having made such changes as it may see fit, give provisional approval to said budget. Immediately following this provisional approval of the budget, the town clerk shall place one copy on file in his office for public inspection, and shall as soon as practicable cause it to be published in a newspaper having general circulation in the town, in such manner as will show both the original recommendations made by the town treasurer and the changes made by the council.
Sec. 405. - Hearing.#
The council shall schedule a public hearing on the budget as provisionally approved and published, which hearing shall take place no later than three (3) weeks following the date of the council's preliminary approval thereof, but no less than three (3) days following publication of said provisional budget as provided in section 404, above. The time and place for the holding of this hearing shall be included with the publication of the provisional budget. The advertising as required by this section may be amended so as to conform to State of Rhode Island notice requirement.
(Amend. of 11-2-10)
Sec. 406. - Final council consideration.#
Upon completion of the public hearing, the council shall take the results thereof under consideration, and shall make such additional changes in the budget as it may feel appropriate. Final adoption of the budget shall be voted no later than two (2) weeks following the completion of the public hearing. Upon adoption of the final budget, the town clerk shall place a copy on file in his office for public inspection and shall, as soon as practicable, cause it to be published in a newspaper having general circulation in the town.
Sec. 407. - Participation by the electorate.#
Any qualified elector of the town may circulate a petition for the holding of a special town meeting to reconsider any item for expenditure in either the operating budget or the capital budget as finally approved by the council, or to consider the insertion of a new item or items in the capital budget. Regarding the school budget, only the total sum appropriated for school purposes shall constitute an item subject to petition in this manner. Such petition shall be upon forms prepared and provided by the town clerk, and shall enumerate the specific item or items to be reconsidered, the amount of the increase or decrease proposed, or the new item proposed for insertion and its amount. All such petitions for the calling of a special town meeting must be filed with the board of canvassers no later than two (2) weeks following the publication of the final budget as provided in section 406 above.
Sec. 408. - Special town meetings.#
(a)
The board of canvassers shall approve any such petition for the calling of a special town meeting if it bears valid signatures of at least four hundred (400) qualified electors of the town. Upon the approval of any such petition or petitions, the board shall notify the town clerk to call a special town meeting. This notification must be made not later than two (2) weeks following receipt of the most recently submitted of the petitions approved.
(b)
The town clerk shall fix the date of such special town meeting so that it shall be held not later than two (2) weeks following notification by the board of canvassers, and shall cause notice to be given to the electors of the town in the manner prescribed by law for such meetings. The warrant shall only include the item or items and amounts enumerated in the petition or petitions requesting the meeting, and no business other than those specific items and amounts shall be in order. All items enumerated in valid petitions shall be considered at a single town meeting. The decisions of any such special town meeting respecting the item or items it was called to consider shall be final, and binding on the council, the town administrator and all others concerned.
(c)
In no case may the operating budget of a department or agency be increased by a special town meeting above the total amount of said budget as submitted to the council by the administrator, or in the case of the school budget, by the school committee.
(d)
No town meetings shall be called or held except in accordance with the foregoing provisions of this article. At special town meetings held in accordance herewith, the town clerk shall preside. Such special town meetings shall be conducted in accordance with applicable provisions of state law not inconsistent with this Charter.
(e)
If no petition shall have been filed with the board of canvassers within the time limit set in section 407 hereof, or if no petition so filed is approved by the board under the terms of subsection (a) of this section, the budget shall stand as adopted pursuant to section 406 hereof.
Sec. 409. - Delay in approving budget.#
If for any reason the operating budget of the town has not been approved by the beginning of the fiscal year for which it was submitted, the council may authorize all town departments and agencies to make expenditures necessary to continue operation for one month, provided that such expenditures total no more than the expenditures of the same department or agency in the corresponding month of the previous fiscal year. The council may renew such authorization on a monthly basis until the budget has been approved.
Sec. 410. - Source of appropriations.#
Whenever the council appropriates money for any purpose subsequent to the adoption of the annual budget, the ordinance or resolution making such appropriation shall include as an appendix thereto, either a statement by the town treasurer certifying that there are sufficient unappropriated monies in the general fund to cover the proposed expenditure, or a statement in which the council identifies the source from which the monies to cover the expenditure are to be taken. Such appended statement shall be deemed conclusive evidence of the intent of the council. Except in the case of an emergency, declared pursuant to subsection (g) of section 306, a duly noticed public hearing is required to be held prior to the appropriation of money (in excess of $25,000.00) subsequent to the adoption of the annual budget.
(Amend. of 11-2-10)
Sec. 411. - Informing the council.#
The town treasurer shall make at least quarterly reports in person to the council as to the current fiscal condition of the town and the extent of adherence to the budget, and shall also submit appropriate financial statements in writing on a monthly basis. He shall also supply any such information upon request of the council.
Sec. 412. - Budget control.#
The town treasurer shall authorize all expenditures made from budget appropriations by the departments, offices, boards and other agencies of the town. He shall set up such system of allotments, or other means for the control of expenditures, as he may see fit, in consultation with the town administrator, or as the council may prescribe. The council shall have power to enact any transfers of funds between appropriation items, and any supplementary or emergency appropriations as may be deemed necessary, provided however, that such supplementary or emergency appropriations are made in conformity with the provisions of section 400 hereof, and will not cause the town to exceed budget deficit limitations prescribed by state law.
Sec. 413. - Unexpended and unencumbered balances.#
At the end of each fiscal year, all unexpended or unencumbered balances in appropriations made for that fiscal year shall revert to the general funds of the town unless reappropriated in the budget for the ensuing fiscal year.
Sec. 414. - Borrowing.#
The town council shall exercise all powers and perform all functions which it may properly exercise and perform under state law regarding the issuance of bonds or promissory notes, provided that all bond issues and any issue of promissory notes which during any fiscal year shall amount to a sum in excess of fifteen (15) percent of the current operating budget of the town, shall be approved by a majority of the voters voting thereon at a general or special election. This section would not be applicable with respect to loans in anticipation of taxes or other revenues or in anticipation of federal or state aid. (Amend. of 11-3-92)