An Act To Change the Budget Approval Process for Alternative Organizational Structures
Maine Legislature, Session 126, LD 0521
Committee: Education and Cultural Affairs
Sponsors: BURNS, MAKER, HAMPER, CRAFTS, FITZPATRICK, GIFFORD, TURNER
Amends: 20-A MRSA §1461-B

Legislative Document 
No. 521 
S.P. 211 
In Senate, February 19, 2013 
An Act To Change the Budget Approval Process for Alternative 
Organizational Structures 
Reference to the Committee on Education and Cultural Affairs suggested and ordered 
printed. 
DAREK M. GRANT 
Secretary of the Senate 
Presented by Senator BURNS of Washington. 
Cosponsored by Representative MAKER of Calais and 
Senator: HAMPER of Oxford, Representatives: CRAFTS of Lisbon, FITZPATRICK of 
Houlton, GIFFORD of Lincoln, TURNER of Burlington. 
Be it enacted by the People of the State of Maine as follows: 
Sec. 1.  20-A MRSA §1461-B, sub-§3, ¶D, as enacted by PL 2011, c. 485, §2, is 
amended to read: 
D.  The governing body of an alternative organizational structure, by majority vote, 
may authorize a change in the alternative organizational structure budget approval 
procedures in paragraph C to require a budget approval by the governing body of the 
alternative organizational structure instead of a meeting of the voters of all of the 
member entities of the alternative organizational structure.  The change in procedure 
must be authorized by a majority of the total number of voters of all of the member 
entities in the alternative organizational structure at the next statewide election a 
special meeting authorized by a majority vote of the governing body of the alternative 
organizational structure.  The article to be voted upon on at the special meeting must 
be in substantially the following form: 
"Article:  Do you favor changing the (name of alternative organizational 
structure) budget approval procedure from a meeting of the voters to a vote by 
the governing body of the alternative organizational structure? 
Yes No" 
If approved by the voters, the budget approval procedure changes to a majority vote 
of the governing body of the alternative organizational structure at a budget meeting.  
This procedure must remain in effect for at least 3 budget years before the alternative 
organizational structure may return to the requirement that a budget be approved at a 
meeting of the voters of all of the member entities of the alternative organizational 
structure. 
An article to consider reinstatement of the budget approval procedure in which the 
budget is approved at a meeting of the voters of all of the member entities may be 
placed on a warrant for referendum vote by either a majority vote of the governing 
body of the alternative organizational structure or by a written petition to the 
governing body of the alternative organizational structure signed by a number of 
voters of member entities of the alternative organizational structure equal to at least 
10% of the voters who voted in the last gubernatorial election in the member entities 
of the alternative organizational structure. The governing body of the alternative 
organizational structure shall place the article on the next scheduled warrant or an 
earlier one if determined appropriate by the governing body of the alternative 
organizational structure. The article to be voted upon must be in substantially the 
following form: 
"Article:  Do you favor changing the (name of alternative organizational 
structure) budget approval procedure from a vote by the governing body of the 
alternative organizational structure to a meeting of the voters? 
Yes No" 
If approved by a majority of the total number of voters of all of the member entities 
in the alternative organizational structure, the budget approval procedure changes to a 
meeting of the voters of all of the member entities of the alternative organizational 
structure beginning in the next budget year or the following budget year if the 
approval occurs less than 90 days before the start of the next budget year. Once 
approved by the voters, this procedure may not be changed for at least 3 budget years. 
SUMMARY 
This bill changes the school budget approval process for alternative organizational 
structures.  Current law requires that a change in who approves a budget must be 
approved at the next statewide election.  The bill requires that such a determination of 
who approves a budget must be approved at a special meeting authorized by a majority of 
the governing body of the alternative organizational structure rather than at the next 
statewide election.