An Act To Amend the Laws Governing the Somerset County Budget Procedure
Maine Legislature, Session 124, LD 1512
Committee: State and Local Government
Sponsors: CURTIS, McCABE
Amends: 30-A MRSA §897, 30-A MRSA §898

MAINE STATE LEGISLATURE 
The following document is provided by the 
LAW AND LEGISLATIVE DIGITAL LIBRARY 
at the Maine State Law and Legislative Reference Library 
http://legislature.maine.gov/lawlib 
Reproduced from scanned originals with text recognition applied 
(searchable text may contain some errors and/or omissions) 
II 
n 
( 
~ 
124th MAl E LEGISLATURE 
Legislative Document 
No. 1512 
H.P. 1061 
House of Representatives, December 10, 2009 
An Act To Amend the Laws Governing the Somerset County Budget 
Procedure 
(EMERGENCY) 
Approved for introduction by a majority ofthe Legislative Council pursuant to Joint Rule 
203. 
Received by the Clerk of the House on December 8, 2009. Referred to the Committee on 
State and Local Government pursuant to Joint Rule 308.2 and ordered printed pursuant to Joint 
Rule 401. 
' 
Presented by Representative CURTIS of Madison. 
Cosponsored by Representative McCABE of Skowhegan. 
PrinteJ Ull recycled pLlpt.:r 
'7JA~ 1/7. 77l1LC~{ 
MILLICENT M. MacFARLAND 
Clerk 
Emergency preamble. Whereas, acts and resolves of the Legislature do not 
become effective until 90 days after adjournment unless enacted as emergencies; and 
Whereas, this legislation needs to take effect before the beginning of the next fiscal 
year; 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, 
Be it enacted by the People of the State of Maine as follows: 
Sec. 1. 30-A MRSA §897, sub-§4, as enacted by PL 1993, c. 582, §1, is amended 
to read: 
4. Adoption of budget; tax levy. After the public hearing under subsection 3 is 
completed, the budget committee shall adopt a final budget and transmit that budget to 
the county commissioners may further increase, decrease or alter the proposed budget 
based on information obtained during the public hearing process. The proposed budget 
must be approved by a majority vote of the budget committee at a duly called meeting not 
later than 15 days prior to the beginning of the county's fiscal year. 
The budget 
committee shall send the approved budget to the county commissioners. The county 
commissioners may adopt the budget as submitted by the budget committee or after 
increasing, decreasing or altering the budget by a majority vote of the county 
commissioners by June 30th. 
A. 
The county commissioners may not further increase, decrease, alter or revise the 
budget adopted by the budget committee e)wept by unanimous vote of the county 
commissioners. If the adopted budget is changed by the county commissioners, the 
budget committee may reject that change by a 2/3 vote of its membership. The 
budget is final and not subject to further action by either the county commissioners or 
the budget committee upon failure of the commissioners to unanimously recommend 
changes in the budget transmitted from the budget committee or upon acceptance or 
reiection of chanees by the budeet committee. 
B. 
The budget adopted under this subsection is the final authorization for the 
assessment of county taxes and the county tax authorized is apportioned and collected 
in accordance with section 706. 
Sec. 2. 30-A MRSA §898, as enacted by PL 1993, c. 582, § 1, is amended to read: 
§898. Interim budget 
If the budget 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. 
Emergency clause. 
In view of the emergency cited in the preamble, this 
legislation takes effect when approved, except as otherwise indicated. 
Page I - 124LR2169(Ol)-1 
) 
) 
) 
'I,') 
( 
'~ 
II 
SUMMARY 
This bill amends the laws governing the procedure for adopting the Somerset County 
budget by allowing the budget to be increased, decreased or altered by the budget 
committee based on information obtained during the public hearing process. The budget 
must be approved by a majority vote of the budget committee at a meeting called for that 
purpose. The county commissioners may adopt the budget as submitted by the budget 
committee or after increasing, decreasing or altering the proposed budget by a majority 
vote by June 30th. Current law requires a unanimous vote of the commissioners to 
change the budget. The bill also requires that, if the county does not approve a new 
budget, it operate on an interim budget not to exceed the previous year's budget. Current 
law requires that, if the county does not approve a new budget, it operate on an interim 
budget not to exceed 80% of the previous year's budget.