SENATE DOCKET, NO. 2298        FILED ON: 8/22/2012

SENATE  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  No. 2426

The Commonwealth of Massachusetts

_________________

PRESENTED BY:

Stanley C. Rosenberg

_________________

To the Honorable Senate and House of Representatives of the Commonwealth of Massachusetts in General
Court assembled:

The undersigned legislators and/or citizens respectfully petition for the adoption of the accompanying bill:

An Act amending the charter of the city known as the town of Greenfield relative to the budget review process..

_______________

PETITION OF:

SENATE DOCKET, NO. 2298        FILED ON: 8/22/2012

SENATE  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  No. 2426

The Commonwealth of Massachusetts

_______________

In the Year Two Thousand Twelve

_______________

An Act amending the charter of the city known as the town of Greenfield relative to the budget review process..

Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives in General Court assembled, and by the authority of the same, as follows:
 

SECTION 1. The charter of the town of Greenfield, which is on file in the office of the archivist of the commonwealth, as provided in section 12 of chapter 43B of the General Laws, is hereby amended by striking out Section 5-6 and inserting in place thereof the following:-

SECTION 5-6:  ACTION ON THE BUDGET

(a) Review - The Town Council shall consider, in open public meetings, the detailed expenditures proposed for each Town agency and may confer with representatives of each such agency in connection with its review and consideration. The Town Council may require the Mayor, or any other Town agency, to furnish it with such additional information as it may deem necessary to assist it in its review and consideration of the proposed operating budget.

(b) Public Hearing - Not less than five (5) days before it is scheduled to vote on its final budget request, the Town Council shall publish a summary of the proposed budget stating the time and place for which a public hearing on the proposed operating budget as submitted by the Mayor will be held.

(c) Action by Town Council - The Town Council shall adopt the budget, with or without amendments, within sixty (60) days following the day the proposed budget is received by it. In amending the budget, the Town Council may increase or decrease amounts and expenditures as allowed pursuant to section 32 of chapter 44 of the Massachusetts General Laws or the Town Council may only decrease amounts or add amounts to the schools budget pursuant to section 32 of chapter 44 of the Massachusetts General Laws. If the Town Council fails to take any action with respect to any item in the proposed budget within sixty (60) days following the date of its receipt of the proposed budget, such amount shall, without any action by the Town Council, become a part of the appropriations for the ensuing fiscal year and shall be available for the purposes specified.