HB453: relative to recommendations of certain municipal boards.

HB 453 - AS INTRODUCED

2003 SESSION

03-0678

08/09

HOUSE BILL 453

AN ACT relative to recommendations of certain municipal boards.

SPONSORS: Rep. Cady, Rock 73

COMMITTEE: Municipal and County Government

ANALYSIS

This bill prevents any local body other than the budget committee from recommending a municipal budget.

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Matter which is either (a) all new or (b) repealed and reenacted appears in regular type.

03-0678

08/09

STATE OF NEW HAMPSHIRE

In the Year of Our Lord Two Thousand Three

AN ACT relative to recommendations of certain municipal boards.

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

1 Municipal Budget Preparation. Amend RSA 32:5, I to read as follows:

32:5 Budget Preparation.

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 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 Municipal Budget Preparation. Amend RSA 32:5, IV (c) and (d) to read as follows:

(c) [All appropriations, including appropriations contained in special warrant articles, recommended by the governing body.

(d)] If there is a budget committee, all the appropriations, including appropriations contained in special warrant articles, recommended by the budget committee.

3 Municipal Budget Preparation. Amend RSA 32:5, V and VI 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, 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 if there is one, provided, however, that defects or deficiencies in these notations shall not affect the legal validity of any appropriation otherwise lawfully made. All appropriations made under special warrant articles shall be subject to the hearing requirements of paragraphs I and II of this section.

VI. Upon completion of the budgets, an original of each budget and of each recommendation upon special warrant articles, signed by a quorum [of the governing body, or] of the budget committee, if any, shall be placed on file with the town or district clerk. A certified copy shall be forwarded by the chair of the budget committee, if any, or otherwise by the chair of the governing body, to the commissioner of revenue administration pursuant to RSA 21-J:34.

4 Municipal Budget Preparation. Amend RSA 32:18-a, II(a) to read as follows:

(a) The governing body shall place the following statement at the beginning of the warrant article for such bond request: "Passage of this article shall override the 10 percent limitation imposed on this appropriation due to the non-recommendation of the budget committee." Immediately below the bond request on the warrant shall be displayed [(1) the recommendation of the governing body and (2)] the recommendation of the budget committee, as included in the budget forms for the annual meeting pursuant to RSA 32:5, IV.

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