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Maine Revised Statutes Title 30-A. Municipalities and Counties § 1353. Finance committee

Current as of January 01, 2025 | Updated by Findlaw Staff

A county adopting a charter under this chapter may provide for a method of appropriating money for county expenditures other than the method in sections 2, 701 and 702. Any alternative method provided must give the county legislative body the authority to appropriate money, according to the budget, which must first be approved by majority vote of the finance committee. If the budget is not approved before the start of a fiscal year, the county shall, until a budget is finally adopted, operate on an interim budget which may not exceed 80% of the previous year's budget.

1. Creation of finance committee. A county choosing to exercise its authority under this section shall specify in the charter the number, term and method of selection of members of the finance committee. Each commissioner district must be equally represented. One of the following methods of selection shall be used.

A. Each county commissioner shall appoint the finance committee members from that commissioner's district from among the municipal officers of that district.

B. The municipal officers within each commissioner district shall caucus and elect the finance committee members from that district. The principle of proportional representation shall be followed in the election of the finance committee.

2. Chairman; membership; terms. The finance committee shall select its own chairman each year. Members may not serve ex officio and shall have terms covering at least one full budget cycle.

3. Budget estimate. The county commissioners shall submit a budget estimate to the finance committee in a timely fashion, no later than October 1st for the coming year, and shall provide the committee with necessary clerical assistance, office expenses and meeting space, as well as access to county files and information. The committee shall act on the budget in a timely fashion, in any event not later than December 15th of the budget year.

4. Budget procedures. Any county adopting an alternative method of appropriating money for county expenditures under this section shall require in the charter that the county commissioners hold one or more public hearings in the county on the budget estimates before October 1st. A copy of the final budget estimates shall be filed, on forms approved by the Office of the State Auditor, with the State Auditor, who shall retain them for 3 years.

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Cite this article: FindLaw.com - Maine Revised Statutes Title 30-A. Municipalities and Counties § 1353. Finance committee - last updated January 01, 2025 | https://codes.findlaw.com/me/title-30-a-municipalities-and-counties/me-rev-st-tit-30-a-sect-1353/

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