HB371: relative to warrant article recommendations in towns which have adopted the official ballot referendum form of meeting.

HB 371 - AS INTRODUCED

2003 SESSION

03-0151

08/01

HOUSE BILL 371

AN ACT relative to warrant article recommendations in towns which have adopted the official ballot referendum form of meeting.

SPONSORS: Rep. Major, Rock 79; Rep. Stone, Rock 73; Rep. J. Gilbert, Rock 83

COMMITTEE: Municipal and County Government

ANALYSIS

This bill provides for the ability to change a recommendation of a budget article by the budget committee or the governing body if the article has been amended.

- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -

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Matter which is either (a) all new or (b) repealed and reenacted appears in regular type.

03-0151

08/01

STATE OF NEW HAMPSHIRE

In the Year of Our Lord Two Thousand Three

AN ACT relative to warrant article recommendations in towns which have adopted the official ballot referendum form of meeting.

Be it Enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives in General Court convened:

1 Budget Preparation. RSA 32:5, V is repealed and reenacted to read as follows:

V. When any purpose of appropriation, submitted by a governing body or by petition, appears in the warrant as part of a special warrant article:

(a) The article shall contain a notation of whether or not that appropriation is recommended by the governing body, and, if there is a budget committee, a notation of whether or not it is recommended by the budget committee;

(b) If the article is amended at the first session of the meeting in an official ballot referendum municipality, the governing body and the budget committee, if one exists, may revise its recommendation on the amended version of the special warrant article and the revised recommendation shall appear on the warrant for the second session of the meeting provided, however, that the 10 percent limitation on expenditures provided for in RSA 32:18 shall be calculated based upon the initial recommendations of the budget committee.

(c) Defects or deficiencies in these notations shall not affect the legal validity of any appropriation otherwise lawfully made; and,

(d) All appropriations made under special warrant articles shall be subject to the hearing requirements of paragraphs I and II of this section.

2 Limitations of Appropriations. Amend the introductory paragraph of RSA 32:18 to read as follows:

32:18 Limitation of Appropriations. In any municipality electing this subdivision, or any district wholly within a town electing this subdivision, the total amount appropriated at any annual meeting shall not exceed by more than 10 percent the total amount recommended by the budget committee for such meeting in official ballot referendum municipalities, the recommendation of the budget committee made for the first session of the meeting shall be used for determining the 10 percent limitation. These totals shall include appropriations contained in special warrant articles. Money may be raised and appropriated for purposes included in the budget or in the warrant and not recommended by the budget committee, but not to an amount which would increase the total appropriations by more than the 10 percent allowed under this paragraph. The 10 percent increase allowable under this paragraph shall be computed on the total amount recommended by the budget committee less that part of any appropriation item which constitutes fixed charges. Fixed charges shall include appropriations for:

3 Effective Date. This act shall take effect 60 days after its passage.