PART A

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’Sec. .

PART B

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Sec. B-1. Task force established. The Municipal Revenue Stabilization Task Force, referred to in this Part as "the task force," is established.

Sec. B-2. Task force membership. The task force consists of 9 members appointed as follows:

1. Two members of the Senate appointed by the President of the Senate, one of whom is a member of the Joint Standing Committee on Taxation and one of whom is a member of the Joint Standing Committee on Appropriations and Financial Affairs;

2. Three members of the House of Representatives appointed by the Speaker of the House of Representatives, 2 of whom are members of the Joint Standing Committee on Taxation and one of whom is a member of the Joint Standing Committee on Appropriations and Financial Affairs;

3. Three members who serve as municipal administrators, 2 of whom are appointed by the President of the Senate and one of whom is appointed by the Speaker of the House of Representatives. The appointing authorities shall select members to ensure representation among members of administrators of small, medium-sized and large municipalities in the State; and

4. One representative of the Maine Municipal Association appointed by the Governor.

Sec. B-3. Chairs. The first-named Senate member is the Senate chair and the first-named House of Representatives member is the House chair of the task force.

Sec. B-4. Appointments; convening of task force. All appointments must be made no later than 30 days following the effective date of this Part. The appointing authorities shall notify the Executive Director of the Legislative Council once all appointments have been completed. After appointment of all members, the chairs shall call and convene the first meeting of the task force. If 30 days or more after the effective date of this Part a majority of but not all appointments have been made, the chairs may request authority and the Legislative Council may grant authority for the task force to meet and conduct its business.

Sec. B-5. Duties. The task force shall conduct an in-depth review of the current method of financing municipal services set forth in the Maine Revised Statutes, Title 30-A, section 5681 and shall develop recommendations to amend the method of municipal funding to establish a more sustainable and stable method of municipal funding that permits municipalities to engage in long-range planning and encourages economic development that will benefit the citizens of the State. As part of its review, the task force shall give specific consideration to the time frame during which a municipality in the State must craft its fiscal year budget and shall consider proposals to revise the method of municipal funding, including but not limited to proposals to:

1. Build into the method of municipal funding incentives for municipalities to promote economic development and create economic opportunity; and

2. Shift to other units of government or eliminate certain municipal requirements and services.

Sec. B-6. Staff assistance. The Legislative Council shall provide necessary staffing services to the task force.

Sec. B-7. Report. No later than December 3, 2014, the task force shall submit a report that includes its findings and recommendations, including suggested legislation, to the joint standing committee of the Legislature having jurisdiction over appropriations and financial affairs. After receipt and review of the report, the joint standing committee may submit to the First Regular Session of the 127th Legislature a bill concerning the subject of the report.’