An Act to Amend the Membership of the Washington County
Maine Legislature, Session 132, LD 1542
Committee: State and Local Government
Sponsors: MOORE, MINGO
Amends: 30-A MRSA §900-B

Legislative Document
No. 1542
S.P. 626
In Senate, April 10, 2025
An Act to Amend the Membership of the Washington County 
Budget Advisory Committee
Reference to the Committee on State and Local Government suggested and ordered printed.
DAREK M. GRANT
Secretary of the Senate
Presented by Senator MOORE of Washington.
Cosponsored by Representative MINGO of Calais and
Representatives: STROUT of Harrington, TUELL of East Machias.
Be it enacted by the People of the State of Maine as follows:
Sec. 1.  30-A MRSA §900-B, as amended by PL 2019, c. 23, §1, is further amended 
to read:
§900-B.  Advisory committee
There is established the Washington County Budget Advisory Committee as provided 
in this section.
1.  Municipal officers; election; term.  The Except as provided in subsections 2 and 
2-A, the municipal officers from each county commissioner district shall choose the budget 
advisory committee members by the following procedure.
A.  No later than 100 days before the end of the county's fiscal 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 at 
least one municipal officer from each district as a member of the budget advisory 
committee; except that, in 1992, at least 3 municipal officers must be selected from 
each district unless the municipal officers of a district decide that another person from 
that district would be better qualified.  A municipality may not be represented by more 
than one officer at a time.  The county commissioner shall serve as nonvoting 
moderator for that district caucus.  Nominations must be received from the floor.  The 
nominee receiving the most votes is approved as a budget advisory committee member 
except that, in 1992, each caucus shall elect 3 members.  The names of those elected 
by the caucus must be recorded and forwarded to the county commissioners.
B.  Budget advisory committee members serve 3-year terms except that, in 1992, one 
member from each district must be elected for a one-year term, one member for a 2-
year term and one member for a 3-year term.  If a budget advisory committee member 
ceases to be a municipal officer during the term of membership, that committee 
member vacates membership and the next district caucus shall elect a qualified 
municipal officer to serve for the remainder of the unexpired term.
A municipal officer elected as a member of the budget advisory committee may name a 
designee to serve on the committee.
2.  Legislative member.  The Prior to October 15, 2025, the Washington County 
legislative delegation shall annually select one member of the delegation who resides in 
Washington County to serve as a nonvoting member on the budget advisory committee.  
By October 15, 2025 and by October 15th of every odd-numbered year thereafter, the 
Washington County legislative delegation shall select, by majority vote, one member of 
the delegation who resides in Washington County to serve on the budget advisory 
committee for a 2-year term as a voting member.  If the selected member resigns from the 
Legislature or from the budget advisory committee during the member's term of office, the 
Washington County legislative delegation shall select, by majority vote, another member 
of the delegation who resides in Washington County to serve the remainder of the term. 
The Washington County legislative delegation may replace a member selected pursuant to 
this subsection to serve on the budget advisory committee by a 2/3 vote of the delegation.
2-A.  Member from unorganized territory.  The county commissioners shall appoint 
one member who is a resident of the unorganized territory in Washington County as a 
voting member of the budget advisory committee to serve a 3-year term.
3.  Chair.  The budget advisory committee shall annually select one of its members to 
chair the committee.
SUMMARY
This bill requires the Washington County commissioners to appoint one member who 
is a resident of the unorganized territory in Washington County as a voting member of the 
Washington County Budget Advisory Committee to serve a 3-year term.  It also requires 
the Washington County legislative delegation to select by majority vote, by October 15, 
2025 and by October 15th of every odd-numbered year thereafter, one member of the 
delegation who resides in Washington County to serve on the budget advisory committee 
for a 2-year term as a voting member.  Current law requires the Washington County 
legislative delegation to annually select one member of the delegation who resides in 
Washington County to serve as a nonvoting member on the budget advisory committee.