194-C:9-a Alternative Budget Procedure; Method of Adoption. –
I. (a) Each school district, within a school administrative unit that is composed of 2 or more school districts, may vote to adopt the provisions of RSA 194-C:9-b to determine the means for adopting the school administrative unit budget by placing a question on the warrant of their next annual school district meeting. The question shall be voted on in accordance with the ballot and voting procedures in effect in that school district.
(b) The wording of the question shall be: "Shall the voters of the __________ school district within school administrative unit number __________ adopt the provisions of RSA 194-C:9-b to allow for insertion of the school administrative unit budget as a separate warrant article at annual school district meetings?"
(c) If a majority of the voters voting in the school districts within the school administrative unit approve the question, then RSA 194-C:9-b shall apply starting with the next annual school district meeting of the school districts within that school administrative unit, and shall continue until rescinded. Each school district moderator shall cause a vote by secret ballot to be taken, record the number of yeas and nays, and announce the result of the vote at the annual meeting. The ballots shall be delivered to the moderator of the school district with the latest chronological annual meeting. The moderator of the latest chronological annual meeting shall record the total number of yeas and nays, announce the results of the final vote on the method of adopting the school administrative unit budget, and deliver the ballots to the secretary of the school administrative unit. The secretary of the school administrative unit board shall certify the results to the department of revenue administration.
II. If, in any year, the question presented to the voters in subparagraph I(b) is not adopted, the question may be resubmitted as part of the warrant of the next annual school district meeting, provided each school district within the school administrative unit complies with the petition procedure set forth in RSA 197:6.
III. In order to rescind the adoption of RSA 194-C:9-b, each school district within the school administrative unit shall comply with the petition procedure set forth in RSA 197:6 and upon such compliance, a question shall be placed on the warrant of the next annual school district meeting. The wording of the question shall be: "Shall the voters of the __________ school district within school administrative unit number ___ rescind the adoption of RSA 194-C:9-b, relative to the alternative school administrative unit budget adoption procedure, and adopt the provisions of RSA 194-C:9 as the method for governing the adoption of the school administrative unit budget?" If a majority of the voters voting in the school districts within the school administrative unit approve the question, then the provisions of RSA 194-C:9 shall govern the procedure for adopting the school administrative unit budget in such school administrative unit. Each school district moderator shall cause a secret ballot vote to be taken, record the number of yeas and nays, and announce the result of the vote at the annual meeting. The ballots shall be delivered to the moderator of the school district with the latest chronological annual meeting. The moderator of the latest chronological annual meeting shall record the total number of yeas and nays, announce the results of the final vote on the question of adopting the school administrative unit budget adoption method, and deliver the ballots to the secretary of the school administrative unit. The secretary of the school administrative unit board shall certify the results to the department of revenue administration.
IV. After a vote to adopt or rescind the alternative school administrative unit budget procedure, the secretary of the school administrative unit shall place the ballots and all envelopes or wrapping which had previously contained them in a suitable container showing the contents and the date of the vote. The ballots shall be retained for 60 days from the date of the vote or any recount, unless further preservation is necessary or unless disposal is enjoined by the superior court.
V. Any registered voter who resides in a school district within the school administrative unit may, in writing, petition the secretary of the school administrative unit for a recount of the vote no later than the Friday following the latest chronological annual meeting of school districts in the school administrative unit. The secretary shall schedule a recount, to be conducted by the school administrative unit, not earlier than 5 days nor later than 10 days after the date the secretary receives the petition.
VI. For any town which has adopted a charter under RSA 49-D:3, the method of adoption shall be the manner of amending the charter as provided under RSA 49-B.
Source. 2003, 279:2. 2004, 75:1-3, eff. May 7, 2004. 2012, 7:1, 2, eff. Mar. 22, 2012.