Maine Revised Statutes
Subchapter 3: FINANCING
20-A §1701. Budget approval

§1701. Budget approval
1. Preparation. A district school committee shall annually prepare a budget for the operational and capital expenditures of the community school district.
[PL 1981, c. 693, §§5, 8 (NEW).]
2. Articles. The district school committee shall prepare appropriate articles to authorize the budget expenditures and to determine the sums of money that will be assessed to each member municipality.
[PL 1981, c. 693, §§5, 8 (NEW).]
3. Time and place. The district school committee shall call an annual budget meeting on or before June 30th at an hour and in a location within the community school district it designates, except that the school committee may delay the annual budget meeting to a date after July 1st in accordance with section 15693, subsection 2, paragraph C.
[PL 2005, c. 2, Pt. D, §11 (AMD); PL 2005, c. 2, Pt. D, §§72, 74 (AFF); PL 2005, c. 12, Pt. WW, §18 (AFF).]
4. Warrants. The district school committee shall post warrants in each of the member municipalities calling for an annual budget meeting. It shall follow the procedures that are used by a town for the calling of a regular town meeting.
[PL 1981, c. 693, §§5, 8 (NEW).]
5. Voting lists. The following provisions shall govern voting lists.
A. Registration of voters for the annual budget meeting shall be held in each member municipality in accordance with Title 21-A, section 122. [PL 1989, c. 502, Pt. A, §53 (AMD).]
B. Prior to the annual budget meeting, the municipal clerk of each member municipality shall supply to the district school committee a current list of the registered voters of the municipality. The lists shall be used in determining the voters who are eligible to vote at the annual budget meeting. [PL 1981, c. 693, §§5, 8 (NEW).]
[PL 1989, c. 502, Pt. A, §53 (AMD).]
6. Moderator. The chairman of the district school committee, or when absent the secretary, shall open the meeting and shall call for the election of a moderator.
[PL 1981, c. 693, §§5, 8 (NEW).]
7. Majority vote. A majority vote of those voters present and voting shall be necessary for the approval of the annual budget. An article must be voted on by written ballot if at least 10% of those present and voting vote to use a written ballot. The department, in consultation with municipal and school officials and with organizations representing those officials, shall develop and distribute guidelines to assist district budget meeting moderators in explaining and implementing this subsection.
[PL 1999, c. 710, §7 (AMD).]
8. Special budget meeting. The district school committee may call a special budget meeting when in their judgment a financial emergency exists. They shall post warrants in each of the member municipalities following the same procedures that are used for calling the regular annual budget meeting.
A. At the special budget meeting, the voters may authorize the district school committee to borrow funds to obtain additional moneys for the operation of the district's schools because of a financial emergency. [PL 1985, c. 12 (AMD).]
B. If the voters authorize the district school committee to borrow additional money, that amount shall be added to the next annual assessment of the member municipalities. [PL 1981, c. 693, §§5, 8 (NEW).]
[PL 1985, c. 12 (AMD).]
9. Budget format; voter determination. The budget format shall be prescribed by a majority of the district school committee, unless at least 20% of the number of registered voters, as certified by the several municipal clerks to the secretary, vote on an appropriate warrant article prescribing the budget format.
A. The budget format may be determined by the voters of a community school district by adoption of an appropriate warrant article at a properly called election held in accordance with the procedure set forth in section 15693, subsection 6. [PL 2005, c. 2, Pt. D, §12 (AMD); PL 2005, c. 2, Pt. D, §§72, 74 (AFF); PL 2005, c. 12, Pt. WW, §18 (AFF).]
B. An article dealing with the budget format may be placed before the voters at a properly called election if authorized by a majority vote of the district school committee or if a written petition of at least 10% of the number of voters voting in the last gubernatorial election of each municipality comprising the community school district has been presented to the district school committee. [PL 1983, c. 485, §17 (AMD).]
[PL 2005, c. 2, Pt. D, §12 (AMD); PL 2005, c. 2, Pt. D, §§72, 74 (AFF); PL 2005, c. 12, Pt. WW, §18 (AFF).]
10. Change in format. A change in budget format shall be voted at least 90 days prior to the budget year for which that change is to be effective.
[PL 1981, c. 693, §§5, 8 (NEW).]
11. Line item categories; transfer of funds. Line item categories and transfer of funds shall be as follows.
A. If the budget is prepared by specific line categories, each category shall be included in a separate warrant article. [PL 1981, c. 693, §§5, 8 (NEW).]
B. Unless authorized by the voters, the district school committee may not transfer funds between line item categories. [PL 2009, c. 571, Pt. E, §5 (AMD).]
[PL 2009, c. 571, Pt. E, §5 (AMD).]
12. State-local allocations. To summarize the action taken on the budget for the purposes of determining the community school district's state-local allocations, the articles prescribed in chapter 606-B must also be voted on.
[PL 2005, c. 2, Pt. D, §13 (AMD); PL 2005, c. 2, Pt. D, §§72, 74 (AFF); PL 2005, c. 12, Pt. WW, §18 (AFF).]
SECTION HISTORY
PL 1981, c. 693, §§5,8 (NEW). PL 1983, c. 485, §17 (AMD). PL 1985, c. 12 (AMD). PL 1989, c. 502, §A53 (AMD). PL 1991, c. 429, §4 (AMD). PL 1999, c. 710, §§7-10 (AMD). PL 2005, c. 2, §§D11-13 (AMD). PL 2005, c. 2, §§D72,74 (AFF). PL 2005, c. 12, §WW18 (AFF). PL 2009, c. 571, Pt. E, §5 (AMD).