2023 Maine Revised Statutes › TITLE 20-A: EDUCATION › Part 7: SCHOOL FINANCE › Chapter 606-B: ESSENTIAL PROGRAMS AND SERVICES › 20-A §15694. Actions on budget

§15694. Actions on budget
The following provisions apply to approving a school budget under this chapter.   [PL 2005, c. 2, Pt. D, §62 (NEW); PL 2005, c. 2, Pt. D, §§72, 74 (AFF); PL 2005, c. 12, Pt. WW, §18 (AFF).]
1.  Checklist required.
Prior to a vote on articles dealing with school appropriations, the clerk or secretary shall make a checklist of the registered voters. The number of voters listed on the checklist is conclusive evidence of the number participating in the vote.
[PL 2009, c. 571, Pt. E, §28 (AMD).]
2.  Reconsideration.
Notwithstanding any law to the contrary, in school administrative units where the school budget is finally approved by the voters, a special budget vote to reconsider action taken on the budget may be called only as follows.
A. The reconsideration vote must be held within 30 days of the regular budget vote at which the budget was finally approved in accordance with section 2307 or chapter 103‑A.   [PL 2009, c. 571, Pt. E, §28 (AMD).]
B. In a regional school unit, school administrative district or community school district, the reconsideration vote must be called by the school board or as follows.
(1) A petition containing a number of signatures of legal voters in the member municipalities of the school administrative unit equalling at least 10% of the number of voters who voted in the last gubernatorial election in member municipalities of the school administrative unit, or 100 voters, whichever is less, and specifying the article or articles to be reconsidered must be presented to the school board within 15 days of the regular budget vote at which the budget was finally approved in accordance with chapter 103‑A.
(2) On receiving the petition, the school board shall call the special budget reconsideration vote, which must be held within 15 days of the date the petition was received.   [PL 2009, c. 571, Pt. E, §28 (AMD).]
C. In a municipality, the meeting to reconsider the vote must be called by the municipal officers:
(1) Within 15 days after receipt of a request from the school board, if the request is received within 15 days of the budget vote at which the budget was finally approved in accordance with section 2307 and it specifies the article or articles to be reconsidered; or
(2) Within 15 days after receipt of a written application presented in accordance with Title 30‑A, section 2532, if the application is received within 15 days of the budget vote at which the budget was finally approved in accordance with section 2307 and it specifies the article or articles to be reconsidered.   [PL 2009, c. 571, Pt. E, §28 (AMD).]
[PL 2009, c. 571, Pt. E, §28 (AMD).]
3.  Invalidation of action of special budget meeting to reconsider the vote.
If a special budget vote is called to reconsider action taken at a regular budget vote, the vote is invalid if the number of voters at the special budget vote is less than the number of voters at the regular budget vote.
[PL 2009, c. 571, Pt. E, §28 (AMD).]
4.  Line-item transfers.
Votes requested by a school board for the purpose of transferring funds from one category or line item to another must be posted for voter or council action within 15 days of the date of the request.
[PL 2009, c. 571, Pt. E, §28 (AMD).]
SECTION HISTORY
PL 2005, c. 2, §D62 (NEW). PL 2005, c. 2, §§D72,74 (AFF). PL 2005, c. 12, §WW18 (AFF). PL 2009, c. 571, Pt. E, §28 (AMD).