An Act To Establish the Androscoggin County Budget Advisory Committee and the Somerset County Budget Advisory Committee
Maine Legislature, Session 122, LD 1003
Committee: State and Local Government
Sponsors: SNOWE-MELLO, ROTUNDO, NUTTING, CEBRA, LANSLEY, RICHARDSON
Amends: 30-A MRSA §924

Legislative Document 
No. 1003 
S.P.343 
In Senate, February 24,2005 
An Act To Establish the Androscoggin County Budget Advisory 
Committee and the Somerset County Budget Advisory Committee 
Reference to the Committee on State and Local Government suggested and ordered printed. 
Presented by Senator SNOWE-MELLO of Androscoggin. 
Cosponsored by Senator ROTUNDO of Androscoggin and 
JOY J. O'BRIEN 
Secretary of the Senate 
Senator: NUTTING of Androscoggin, Representatives: CEBRA of Naples, LANSLEY of 
Sabattus, RICHARDSON of Greenville. 
PrintLd on recycied paper 
Be it enacted by the People of the State of Maine as follows: 
Sec. 1. 30-A MRSA c. 3, sub-c. 1, art. 2, as amended, is repealed. 
Sec. 2. 30-A MRS A c. 3. sub-c. 1, art. 2-A is enacted to read: 
ARTICLE 2-A 
ANDROSCOGGIN COUNTY BUDGET ADVISORY COMMITTEE 
§728. 
Budget; appropriations; approval 
Notwithstanding sections 2, 
and 702, 
in Androscoggin 
County the county commissioners may appropriate money 
accordi~ 
to a budget that must be approved by a majority of the county 
commissioners. 
§728-A. 
Interim budget 
If the budget under section 728 is not approved before the 
start of a fiscal year, until a budget is finally adopted the 
county shall operate on an interim budget, which may not exceed 
80% of the previous year's budget. 
§728-B. 
Advisory committee 
The Androscoggin County Budget Advisory Committee, referred 
to in this article as "the committee," is established as provided 
in this section. 
1. 
Committee membership. 
The 
committee consists of 11 
members who are chosen by the following procedure. 
A. 
Two 
municipal officers 
from 
each of 
the 
county 
commissioner districts and one representative of the general 
public from each of the 3 county commissioner districts are 
chosen 
by 
the 
municipal 
officers 
from 
each 
county 
commissioner 
district, 
and 
members 
of 
the 
county 
leais1ative delegation are chosen by the members 
of the 
county 
legislative 
delegation. 
Committee 
members 
representing municipal officers and the general public serve 
year terms, except for the initial members, whose terms 
are provided in subsection 2, paragraph B. If a committee 
member who is a municipal officer ceases to be a municipal 
officer during the term of membership, that committee member 
vacates membership. 
.. 
Ul 
')0 
(1) 
If a 
CQr[lJILUJ;,~e member who is a municipal 
offic~1: 
vacates, resigns from or is unable to complete the term 
of office to which that member was elected, the next 
district caucus elects a municipal officer to serve for 
the remainder of the unexpired term. 
(2) 
If a committ_ee member who is a representative of 
the 
general 
public 
resigns 
from 
or 
is 
unable 
to 
complete the term of office to which that member was 
elected, 
the 
next 
district 
caucus 
elects 
a 
representative of the general public to serve for the 
remainder of the unexpired term. 
(3) 
If a 
comrnitt_ee 
member 
who is a 
member 
Qf the 
count.y_legislative_Q.~lggation resigns from or is unable 
to complete the term of office to which that member was 
elected, 
the 
county legislative delegation elects 
a 
member of the county legislative delegation to serve 
for the remainder of the unexpired term. 
B. 
The 
commi tt_ee selects annually one of its members to 
chair the committee. 
2. 
Municip~Jfice~~~ election; 
term. 
officers from each county commissioner district 
committee members by the following procedure. 
The 
muni ciP.Q.l 
choose the budget 
A. 
Before 
Febn,lfl.ry 
15th 
of 
every 
year, 
the 
coun_ty 
commissioners shall notify all municipal officers in the 
county to 
caucus 
by 
county 
commissioner districts at 
a 
specified date, time and place for the purpose of electing 
the membership of the committee, except for the membershiJ;! 
from 
the 
county legislative delegation. 
When 
a 
public 
member of the committee is elected, the county commissioners 
shall issue a ---Eill;1lic notice that includes the date, time and 
place of 
the 
caucus. 
The 
county 
commissioner 
serves 
as 
nonvoting 
moder.£tor __ fo~pat commissioner's 
district 
caucus. 
Nominations 
are 
received 
from 
the 
floor. 
The 
nominee 
receiving~h-.!L~ost votes is approved as a 
commi.t.te~ 
member and serves a term of 3 years, except as provided in 
paragraph B. 
B. 
In 2006, each caucus elects 3 members, whose terms are 
as follows: 
L1) 
One 
of 
the 
m~lJlber_s_Y[h,o is 
a 
municipal officer 
serves an initial term of one year; 
(2) 
One 
of the 
members 
who 
is 
a 
municipal officer 
serves an initial term of 2 years; and 
(3) The Illember who is a representative of the general 
public serves an initial term of 3 years. 
C. 
The 
members 
selected 
by 
the 
county 
legislative 
delegation serve for terms of 2 years coterminous with their 
terms of office. 
3. 
Legislative me~r. The AndroscQggin County legislative 
delegation shall annually select one member of the delegation who 
resides in Androscoggin County to serve on the committee. 
§728-C. 
Public hearing 
The Andros~n County commissioners shall hold one or more 
public 
hearings 
on 
the 
budget 
estimate 
under 
section 
728-D 
annually before October 1st and an informational meeting, 
in 
conjunction with the committee, 
with the Androscoggin 
County 
legislative delegation before December 1st. 
§728-D. 
Budget estimate: submission to committee 
The Androscoggin County commissioners shall submit a budget 
estimate to the committee no later than April 1st for the next 
fiscal year. 
The committee shall review the budget estimate, 
hold 
a 
public 
hearing 
on 
the 
budget 
estimate 
and 
make 
recommendations to the county commissioners before May 15th. 
The 
county commissioners shall act on the budget in a timely fashion 
and, in any event, not later than June 15th of the fiscal year. 
§728-E. 
Final budget estimates: filing 
A copy of the final budget estimate under section 728-D mu~t 
be filed, on forms approved by the Department of Audit, with the 
State Auditor, who shall retain the forms for 3 years. 
Sec. 3. 30-A MRSA c. 3, sub-c. 1, art. 12, as amended, is repealed. 
Sec. 4. 30-A MRSA c. 3, sub-c. 1. art. 15 is enacted to read: 
ARTICLE 15 
SOMERSET COUNTY BUDGET ADVISORY COMMITTEE 
§900-K. 
Budget: appropriations: approval 
Notwithstanding sections 2, 701 and 702, in Somerset County 
the county commissioners may appropriate money according to a 
budget 
that 
must 
be 
approved 
by 
a 
majority of 
the 
county 
commissioners. 
§900-L. 
Interim budget 
If the budget under section 900-K is not approved before the 
start of a fiscal year, until a budget is finally adopted the 
county shall operate on an interim budget, which may not exceed 
80% of the previous year's budget. 
§900-M. 
Advisory committee 
The Somerset County Budget Advisory Committee, referred to 
in this article as "the committee," is established as provided in 
this section. 
1. 
Committee 
m~mbe~ship. 
The 
committee consists of 
members who are chosen by the following procedure. 
so 
A. 
Two 
municipal 
officers 
from 
each 
of 
the 
county 
commissioner districts and one representative of the general 
public from each of the 3 county commissioner districts are 
chosen 
by 
the 
municipal 
officers 
from 
each 
county 
commissioner 
district, 
and 
members 
of 
the 
county 
legislative delegation are chosen by the members 
of the 
county 
legislative 
delegation. 
Committee 
members 
representing municipal officers and the general public serve 
3-year terms, except for the initial members, whose terms 
are provided in subsection 2, paragraph B. If a committee 
member who is a municipal officer ceases to be a municipal 
officer during the term of membership, that committee member 
vacates membershi~ 
ill If a committee member who is a municipal officer 
vacates, resigns from or is unable to complete the term 
of office to which that member was elected, the next 
district caucus elects a municipal officer to serve for 
the remainder of the unexpired term. 
(2) 
If a committee member who is a representative of 
the 
general 
public 
resigns 
from 
or 
is 
unable 
to 
complete the term of office to which that member was 
elected, 
the 
next 
district 
caucus 
elects 
a 
representative of the general public to serve for the 
remainder of the unexpired term. 
(3) 
If a 
committee member 
who is a 
member of the 
county legislative delegation resigns from or is unable 
to complete the term of office to which that member was 
elected, 
the 
county legislative delegation elects 
a 
member of the c01Jnty legislr;ttive delegation to serve 
for the remainder of the unexpired term. 
B. 
The 
committee selects annually one of its members to 
chair the committee. 
~2,-,.,---_""M",un""""i,,-,c 
.... ~,,,-· pltP'a",l,--_o",-",f""f,,,i,-,c,,,,e,,,r"'-2s.L;_~e.lection; 
term. 
The 
mun i c i pal 
officers 
from 
each 
county 
commissioner 
district 
choose 
the 
committee members by the following procedure. 
A. 
Before 
February 
15th 
of 
every 
year, 
the 
county 
commissioners shall notify all municipal officers in the 
county to 
caucus 
by 
county 
commissioner districts at 
a 
specified date, time and place for the purpose of electing 
the membership of the commi ttee, except for the membershiJ2 
from 
the 
county 
legislative delegation. 
When 
a 
public 
member of the committee is elected, the county commissioners 
shall issue a public notice that includes the date, time and 
place of the caucus. The county commissioner shall serve 
a~ 
nonvoting 
moderator 
for 
that 
commissioner's 
district 
caucus. 
Nominations 
are 
reC;J1iv~d 
from 
the 
floor. 
The 
nominee receiving the most votes is approved as a committee 
member and serves a term of 3 years, except as provided in 
paragraph B. 
B. 
In 2006, each caucus elects 3 members, whose terms 
ar~ 
as follows: 
(l} 
One 
of the members 
"rho 
is 
a 
municipal officer 
serves an initial term of one yearL 
( 2 } 
One 
of the 
m~mbers who is 
a 
municipal officer 
serves an initial term of 2 years; and 
(3} The member who is a representative of the general 
1G 
public serves an initial term of 3 years. 
C. 
The 
members 
selected 
by 
the 
county 
legislative 
delegation serve for terms of 2 years coterminous with their 
terms of office. 
3. 
Legislative member. 
The 
Somerset 
County legislative 
delegation shall annually select one member of the delegation who 
resides in Somerset County to serve on the committee. 
§900-N. 
Public hearing 
(18 
The Somerset 
Coun~ommissioners shall hold one or more 
public 
hearings 
on 
the 
budget 
estimate 
under 
section 
900-0 
annually before October 1st and an informational meeting, 
in 
conjunction 
with 
the 
committee, 
with 
the 
Somerset 
county 
legislative delegation before December 1st. 
§900-0. 
Budget estimate; submission to committee 
The 
Somerset 
County 
commissioners shall 
submit 
a 
budget 
estimate to the committee no later than API-il 1st for the next 
(\ 
fiscal year. 
The committee shall review the budget estimate, 
hold 
a 
public 
hearing 
on 
the 
budget 
estimate 
and 
make 
recommendations to the county commissioners before May 15th. 
The 
county commissioners shall act on the budget in a timely fashion 
and, in any event, not later than June 15th of the fiscal year. 
~900-P. Final budget estimates; filing 
A copy of the final budget estimate under section 900-0 must 
be filed, on forms approved by the Department of Audit, with the 
1e 
State Auditor, who shall retain the forms for 3 years. 
Sec. 5. 30-A MRSA §924~ first 1[, as amended by PL 2001, c. 349, 
§6, is further amended to read: 
The 
county 
commissioners 
of 
each 
county 
shall 
use 
any 
unencumber-ed surplus funds at the end of a fiscal year in the 
following fiscal year only as provided in this 
sectionT--e-K€eF~ 
ERaE--~~--AHa£e6€e~~iH--~~~&~y--~~~~~~~---&aa~~--~--iR 
aeeeraaRee-wiER-seeEieR-+69T-s~BseeEieR-9. 
SUMMARY 
)2 
This bill repeals the existing process of adoption of 
a 
budget 
in 
Androscoggin 
County 
and 
in 
Somerset 
County 
and 
establishes the Androscoggin County Budget Advisory Committee and 
the Somerset County Budget Advisory Committee.