Chapter 04-046

2004 -- H 7480

Enacted 06/11/04

A N A C T

RELATING TO THE EXETER - WEST GREENWICH SCHOOL DISTRICT

Introduced By: Representatives Carter, Scott, and R Anderson

Date Introduced: February 04, 2004

It is enacted by the General Assembly as follows:

     SECTION 1. Section VII of Chapter 80 of the Public Laws of 1965 as amended by

Chapter 3 of the Public Laws of 2001, and as amended by Chapter 81 of the Public Laws of 2002,

entitled “An Act Authorizing the Formation of a Regional School District Representing the

Towns of Exeter and West Greenwich” is hereby amended to read as follows:

     Sec. VII. Procedure for the adoption of the annual budget.

     (A) Fiscal year.

     The regional school district fiscal year shall begin on July 1 of each year.

     (B) Initial budget.

     Prior to June 30, 1965, the initial committee shall prepare and adopt a reasonably detailed

operating and maintenance budget covering expenses for the next fiscal year. Copies of such

proposed budget shall be submitted to the president of the town council of each member town, for

their consideration. The budget as prepared and adopted by the initial committee shall be acted

upon at the regional school district financial meeting to be held within sixty (60) days following

the ratification of this agreement by the general assembly. The amount of such budget shall be

apportioned between the member towns according to the provisions of section VI hereof. The

treasurer of the initial committee shall certify to each member town its respective share of such

budget. The sums thus certified shall be payable in accordance with the provisions of section 6

(E) of this agreement.

     (C) Tentative maintenance and operating budget.

     (1) Thereafter, it shall be the duty of the regional school district superintendent or chief

administrative officer, to present to the regional district school committee, at its regular meeting

in the month of November, a preliminary budget containing his/her estimates of the amount of

money needed to operate the regional school district system for the ensuing fiscal year, including

therein provisions for any installment of principal or interest to become due in such year on any

bonds or other evidences of indebtedness of the district and any other construction costs to be

apportioned to the member towns in such year. The form of the budget shall conform to the

account system of the state department of education.

     (2) The regional district school committee shall prepare and approve a budget which it

believes will efficiently operate the regional school district for the ensuing year not later than the

second Tuesday of March in each year.

     (3) At least seven (7) days before the annual regional school district financial meeting at

which the budget is to be adopted, the regional district school committee shall hold a public

hearing on the proposed budget, at which time any citizen entitled to vote at the regional school

district financial meeting may be heard. Notice of the date of such hearing, together with a

summary of the proposed budget, accompanied by a statement of the amount necessary to be

raised by taxation shall be given at least ten (10) days in advance thereof by publication, once in a

newspaper of general circulation with the regional school district, and published in the state of

Rhode Island.

     (4) Within seventy-five (75) days before the annual regional school district financial

meeting at which the budget is to be adopted, the regional district school committee shall hold

workshops for the purpose of committee deliberation, public information and public input with

respect to the budget. Notice of the dates of such workshops shall be given at least ten (10) days

in advance thereof, by publication once in a newspaper of general circulation within the regional

school district and published in the state of Rhode Island.

     (5) Motions to increase or decrease the budget.

     Motions to increase or decrease the budget by more than ten thousand dollars ($10,000)

may be made by any qualified elector at the annual regional school district financial meeting,

provided that such motion is submitted to the regional school district treasurer not later than ten

(10) days subsequent to the latest date for adoption of the budget by the regional district school

committee.

     (D) Final maintenance and operating budget.

     No later than the second Tuesday of March in each year, the committee shall adopt the

final budget for the regional school district, the budget to include debt and interest charges and

any other current construction costs as separate items, and shall apportion the amounts so

necessary to be raised in order to meet the budget in accordance with the provisions of subsection

VI (D). The final budget, as adopted by the regional district school committee, shall be acted

upon at the annual regional school district financial meeting to be held on the second or third

Monday of April of each year.

     (E) Notification to member towns.

     Within ten (10) days subsequent to the adoption of the budget at the regional school

district financial meeting, the regional school district treasurer shall certify to the budgeting

officers and financial town meeting of the respective towns the amount of money to be raised by

taxes in each town as herein provided for the support of the regional school district which amount

shall become a part of the budget for each respective town, and shall be appropriated in full by

the financial town meeting.

     (F) Records.

     The fiscal records of the regional district school committee shall be available to the

auditors of the member towns.

     SECTION 2. This act shall take effect upon passage.

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LC01627

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