An Act To Allow the Waldo County Budget Committee To Appoint Replacement Members

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,

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:

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.