Finance Committee

The Weare Finance Committee is an advisory board appointed by the Town Moderator for the purpose of providing information and recommendations to Weare voters regarding budgets of the Town and School.   The committee typical meets only during budget season, October through March of each year.

FINANCE COMMITTEE ORDINANCE 

The Weare Finance Committee shall be composed of 13 members appointed by the Moderator.  Members shall be appointed for three-year terms and no member shall be appointed to more than two consecutive three-year terms; and the Town Moderator, in cooperation with members, may remove members for lack of attendance as a majority of the committee sees necessary. 

The 13 appointed members shall, on an annual basis, elect a chairman, vice chairman and secretary from among themselves. 

Structurally, the Finance Committee shall be organized into two six member units.  One unit will be charged with focusing on the budget for the Town of Weare, while the other will focus on the budget of the Weare School District.  The elected Chairman of the Finance Committee will chair both units. 

The two sub-units will report their recommendations to the full 13-member Finance Committee for review and discussion.  It will require a majority vote of the full committee to advance any recommendations to either the Town Meeting of School District Meeting.  A quorum of four members is required for the two sub-units to conduct a meeting, while a quorum of seven is established for either of the two committees (sub-units). 

The Finance Committee should be informed of any article requiring its attention 30 days prior to any Town Meeting or School District Meeting, but not less than one week prior to either meeting.  In order to allow the Finance Committee sufficient time to evaluate and advise on the upcoming budget, the Selectmen and School Board shall be encouraged to present a budget request for the ensuing year during the fourth quarter of each year, but no later than January 15^th of each year. 

It shall be the duty of the Finance Committee to: 

1.   Explain the tax impact of monies raised at each Town or School District Meeting. 

2.    Review and evaluate warrant articles based on short and long term ramifications,

                  and make recommendations pertaining to the same. 

3.    Withhold recommendations only if there is insufficient information. 

The Finance Committee shall be required to work cooperatively with the Selectmen, Town Departments and School District to ensure that all respective budgets will best serve the community’s needs. 

The Finance Committee shall report, in writing, any and all warrant articles and operating budget recommendations no later than one week prior to each Town or School District Meeting.  This written report shall include: 

1.    The total amount requested by the Selectmen or School District for any given

      warrant article. 

2.    The total amount recommended by the Finance Committee for the same. 

3.    The tax impact of both recommendations. 

4.    The reason (s) for the Finance Committee recommendations. 

Further, the Selectmen and the School District shall be notified of any and all relevant Finance Committee recommendations as soon as such recommendations are finalized, but no later than two weeks prior to each Town or School District Meeting. 

The Finance Committee Report shall be made available to any and al interested persons at the Town Office prior to each Town or School District Meeting, and again at the voter check-in table during the Town or School District Meeting. 

The Board of Selectmen shall mail the final recommendations of the Finance Committee as written by the Finance Committee, along with the warrant mailing prior to the second (ballot voting) session of Town Meeting. 

Being a public body, the Finance Committee is subject to the Right-to-Know Law (RSA 91) and is required to conduct all of its meetings in a manner which is open to the public; post notices of its meetings; keep minutes of its meeting and to have those minutes available for public inspection in the Selectmen’s Office within 144 hours of its meeting. 

The Town Moderator is encouraged to ensure that the Finance Committee members represent a cross-section of the community, giving preference to those individuals with business management experience. 

Any member of the Finance Committee who seeks a local elected office shall be disqualified from serving on the Finance Committee during the duration of that year’s budget discussions.  The Moderator shall be empowered to appoint a temporary replacement for that member during that time. 

Any member of the Finance Committee who becomes employed by the Town or School Districts, or is elected to a local public office shall resign his or her Finance Committee position effective immediately. 

The vote of this Town Meeting shall supersede prior recorded voted establishing the Finance Committee and it duties from the 1929, 1938, 1939, 1945, 1950, 1952, 1976, 1978, 1979, 1990, 1991, 1994, 1999 and 2000 Town Meetings.