| | | Sec. 5. 30-A MRSA §884, as amended by PL 2001, c. 143, §2 and | | affected by §4 and c. 499, §1, is repealed. |
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| | | Sec. 6. 30-A MRSA §§884-A to 884-C are enacted to read: |
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| | | §884-A. Budget committee organization |
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| | | The budget committee shall conduct its meetings in public at | | the county courthouse.__The county commissioners shall direct | | the county clerk to call an organizational meeting of the | | budget committee no later than 60 days before the end of the | | county's fiscal year.__The county commissioners shall provide | | the committee with necessary clerical assistance, office | | expenses and suitable meeting space, as well as access to | | county files and information.__The budget committee shall | | adopt its own rules or procedures and bylaws. |
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| | | §884-B. Budget procedures |
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| | | 1.__Proposed budget.__The county commissioners shall submit | | an itemized budget estimate, as described in sections 701 and | | 702, to the budget committee in a timely fashion, no later | | than 60 days before the end of the county's fiscal year. |
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| | | 2.__Budget review process.__The budget committee shall | | review the proposed itemized budget prepared by the county | | commissioners, together with any supplementary material | | prepared by the head of each county department or provided by | | any independent board or institution or another governmental | | agency.__The budget committee may increase, decrease, alter or | | revise the proposed budget, if: |
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| | | A.__The budget committee enters into its minutes an | | explanation for any change in the estimated expenditures | | and revenues as initially presented by the county | | commissioners; and |
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| | | B.__The total estimated revenues, together with the amount | | of county tax to be levied, equals the total estimated | | expenditures. |
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| | | 3.__Public hearing.__The budget committee shall hold a | | public hearing at least once in each of the 3 commissioner | | districts on the proposed budget before the end of the | | county's fiscal year and before the final adoption of the | | budget.__Notice of the hearing must be given at least 10 days | | before the hearing in a newspaper of general circulation | | within the county.__Written notice and a copy of the proposed | | budget must be sent by registered or certified mail with | | return receipt requested, or delivered in person, with proof | | received of the delivery, to the |
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