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Amend the bill by inserting after section 16 the following:
‘Sec. 17. 30-A MRSA §864, sub-§4-B  is enacted to read:
 
4-B.  Petition; referendum on county budget.     The citizens of the county may file a petition to send a budget approved pursuant to subsection 4 to referendum in accordance with this section.
 
A.  A petition to send a budget to referendum must:
 
(1) Be submitted to the county commissioners no later than 45 days after the budget has been adopted;
 
(2) Contain the signatures and legal addresses of voters in the county equal in number to at least 10% of the total vote cast in the county for Governor at the last preceding gubernatorial election; and
 
(3) Be submitted to the appropriate municipal registrar for certification by 5 p.m. on the 10th day before the petition must be filed with the county commissioners or, if the 10th day is a Saturday, Sunday or legal holiday, by 5 p.m. on the next day that is not a Saturday, Sunday or legal holiday. The registrar must complete the certification of the petitions and return them to the circulators or their agents within 5 days of the date on which the petitions were submitted, Saturdays, Sundays and legal holidays excepted.
 
B.  No later than 45 days after receipt of a petition, the county commissioners shall schedule a countywide referendum on the budget.
 
C. If the voters do not approve the budget, the county shall prepare another budget in accordance with this section.’
Amend the bill by relettering or renumbering any nonconsecutive Part letter or section number to read consecutively.
 
SUMMARY
This amendment establishes a process for the citizens of Kennebec County to file a petition to send the county budget to referendum.
FISCAL NOTE REQUIRED
(See attached)