An Act To Permit Greater Voter Participation Regarding Municipal Expenditures (AFTER DEADLINE)
Maine Legislature, Session 123, LD 1804
Committee: State and Local Government
Sponsors: BABBIDGE, SULLIVAN, CASAVANT, CONNOR

Legislative Document 
No. 1804 
H.P.1259 
House of Representatives, March 30, 2007 
An Act To Permit Greater Voter Participation Regarding Municipal 
Expenditures 
(AFTER DEADLINE) 
(EMERGENCY) 
Approved for introduction by a majority of the Legislative Council pursuant to Joint Rule 
205. 
Reference to the Committee on State and Local Government suggested and ordered printed. 
Presented by Representative BABBIDGE of Kennebunk. 
Cosponsored by Senator SULLIVAN of York and 
77/~/J7.~ 
MILLICENT M. MacFARLAND 
Clerk 
Representatives: CASAVANT of Biddeford, CONNOR of Kennebunk. 
PnnteJ on I"el:yded paper 
Emergency preamble. Whereas, acts and resolves of the Legislature do not 
become effective until 90 days after adjournment unless enacted as emergencies; and 
Whereas, municipalities are in the process of developing their budgets for the next 
fiscal year; and 
Whereas, this proposal affects the municipal budget process; and 
Whereas, in the judgment of the Legislature, these facts create an emergency within 
the meaning of the Constitution of Maine and require the following legislation as 
immediately necessary for the preservation of the public peace, health and safety; now, 
therefore, 
lOBe it enacted by the People of the State of Maine as follows: 
Sec. 1. 30-A MRSA §S721-A, sub-§7, ~A, as enacted by PL 2005, c. 2, Pt. C, 
§I and affected by §§3 and 5 and affected by c. 12, Pt. WW, §16, is repealed and the 
following enacted in its place: 
A. 
If the municipal budget is adopted by town meeting or by referendum, then, 
notwithstanding any provision of the municipality's charter to the contrary, a 
majority of the municipal officers may vote to submit the question of exceeding the 
property tax levy limit to a referendum of the legal voters. 
The article may be 
submitted to the legal voters in the next regular election or a special election called 
for that purpose. The election must be called, advertised and conducted according to 
the law relating to municipal elections, except that the registrar of voters is not 
required to prepare nor the clerk to post a new list of voters and absentee ballots must 
be prepared and made available at least 14 days prior to the date of the referendum. 
F or the purpose of registration of voters, the registrar of voters must be in session the 
secular day preceding the election. The voters shall indicate by a cross or check mark 
placed against the word "Yes" or "No" their opinion on the article. The results must 
be declared by the municipal officers and entered upon the municipal records. 
If the question of exceeding the property tax levy limit is not submitted to a 
referendum, the vote of the town meeting must be by written ballot on a separate 
article that specifically identifies the intent to exceed the property tax levy limit. 
Emergency clause. 
In view of the emergency cited in the preamble, this 
legislation takes effect when approved. 
SUMMARY 
Under Public Law 2005, chapter 2, the so-called "L.D. 1," a municipality that adopts 
its budget through a town meeting may exceed the maximum spending targets imposed 
pursuant to L.D. 1 by the same process as long as it is done by written ballot. 
This bill allows the municipal officers of a municipality that allows the spending 
targets to be exceeded by a vote at a town meeting to submit the question of exceeding 
the property tax levy limit to a referendum of the legal voters in that municipality.