An Act To Allow the Waldo County Budget Committee To Appoint Replacement Members
Maine Legislature, Session 128, LD 0973
Committee: State and Local Government
Sponsors: GILLWAY, THIBODEAU, HERBIG, KINNEY, WARD, ZEIGLER
Amends: 30-A MRSA §853

Legislative Document
No. 973
H.P. 686
House of Representatives, March 9, 2017
An Act To Allow the Waldo County Budget Committee To Appoint 
Replacement Members
(EMERGENCY)
Reference to the Committee on State and Local Government suggested and ordered printed.
ROBERT B. HUNT
Clerk
Presented by Representative GILLWAY of Searsport.
Cosponsored by President THIBODEAU of Waldo and
Representatives: HERBIG of Belfast, KINNEY of Knox, WARD of Dedham, ZEIGLER of 
Montville.
Emergency preamble. Whereas, acts and resolves of the Legislature do not 
become effective until 90 days after adjournment unless enacted as emergencies; and 
Whereas, the budgets of counties are important undertakings requiring the 
participation of representatives of municipalities throughout the county; and  
Whereas, when a vacancy occurs in a county budget committee, it reduces the 
ability of the budget committee to adequately represent all of its constituents and makes 
the task of creating a county budget more difficult; and  
Whereas, county budget committees need adequate and prompt mechanisms to fill a 
vacancy when a municipality of a vacating member is unwilling or unable to fill the 
vacancy so that the budget committee can timely and efficiently produce a budget 
representing the interests of the entire county; and  
Whereas, there may be a need to replace committee members before the next 
budget cycle; 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 §853, sub-§4, as enacted by PL 1987, c. 737, Pt. A, §2 and 
Pt. C, §106 and amended by PL 1989, c. 6; c. 9, §2; and c. 104, Pt. C, §§8 and 10, is 
further amended to read: 
4.  Vacancies.  A vacancy occurring on the budget committee shall must be filled by 
the committee for the balance of the unexpired term.  The person appointed to fill the 
vacant office must be a municipal officer from the same municipality as the person 
vacating the office.  If the municipality of the person vacating the office declines to send 
a new member, the committee may solicit another municipality in the same district as the 
municipality of the vacating member that does not have a member sitting on the 
committee to send a municipal officer to fill the vacancy. 
Emergency clause.  In view of the emergency cited in the preamble, this 
legislation takes effect when approved. 
SUMMARY 
This bill amends the Waldo County Budget Committee membership provisions by 
providing that when a vacancy on the committee occurs and the municipality of the 
vacating member declines to send a replacement, the budget committee may solicit 
another municipality in the district that does not have a member currently sitting on the 
committee to fill the vacancy.