§ 45-9-19. Expenditures by elected officials in excess of appropriations prohibited.
(a) No elected official of a city, town, or fire district that is subject to the jurisdiction of a fiscal overseer, budget commission, or receiver, except in the case of an emergency involving the health and safety of the people or the people’s property declared by the city or town council or fire district governing body, shall knowingly expend, or cause to be expended, in any fiscal year any sum in excess of that official’s departmental or other governmental unit’s appropriation duly made in accordance with the law, nor commit the city, town, or fire district, nor cause it to be committed, to any obligation for the future payment of money in excess of that appropriation, with the exception of court judgments.
(b) An elected official who intentionally violates this section shall be personally liable to the city, town, or fire district for any amounts expended in excess of an appropriation to the extent that the city, town, or fire district does not recover such amounts from the person or persons to whom such amounts were paid and shall not be indemnified by the city, town, or fire district for any such amounts. The superior court shall have jurisdiction to adjudicate claims brought by the city or town, or on the city’s, town’s, or fire district’s behalf by a budget commission established under this chapter, and to order relief that the court finds appropriate to prevent further violations of this section.
History of Section.P.L. 2011, ch. 279, § 2; P.L. 2011, ch. 304, § 2; P.L. 2014, ch. 31, § 1; P.L. 2014, ch. 33, § 1.
Structure Rhode Island General Laws
Chapter 45-9 - Budget Commissions
Section 45-9-1. - Declaration of policy and legal standard.
Section 45-9-2. - Definitions.
Section 45-9-3. - Appointment and duties of fiscal overseer.
Section 45-9-4. - Approval of tax levy.
Section 45-9-5. - Reports of fiscal overseer and appointment of budget and review commission.
Section 45-9-6. - Composition of budget commission.
Section 45-9-7. - Appointment of receiver.
Section 45-9-8. - Appointment of receiver in a fiscal emergency.
Section 45-9-9. - Collective bargaining agreements.
Section 45-9-11. - Expenditures in excess of appropriations prohibited.
Section 45-9-12. - Conflicts with other laws.
Section 45-9-13. - Other state receivership laws inapplicable.
Section 45-9-14. - No state guarantee.
Section 45-9-15. - Inconsistent provisions.
Section 45-9-16. - Liberal construction.
Section 45-9-17. - Severability.
Section 45-9-18. - Additional powers of receiver.
Section 45-9-19. - Expenditures by elected officials in excess of appropriations prohibited.
Section 45-9-20. - Orders of the receiver.
Section 45-9-21. - Exemption from liability and prosecution.