Groton charter would set town meeting and budget reporting rules

The charter text requires a report for each town meeting. The report covers every town meeting and its warrant articles. The report includes explanations and relevant information submitted by article proponents, required board and agency reports, and the capital improvement plan. The town manager may make lengthy supporting material available for inspection instead of including it in the report. The select board may add its conclusions and recommendations on articles about its oversight of town administration. Lengthy supporting material must be available for inspection before the town meeting.

The town manager appoints and may remove certain town officials and employees. The rules cover specified town officials and employees under the town manager’s authority. The town manager appoints and may remove the police chief, fire chief, and town clerk under select board policy and applicable state law. The select board must confirm these appointments within 15 days after the manager files notice; failure to confirm counts as rejection. For other officials and employees, this authority applies only when the charter or a by-law gives no other appointment or removal method. The 15-day period begins when the town manager files notice of an appointment with the select board.

The finance committee must file and make its budget report available to voters before the spring town meeting. The requirement applies to the finance committee’s review of the town manager’s proposed budget. The report gives the committee’s proposed budget and its comments or recommendations about differences from the town manager’s proposed budget. A late or missing report does not prevent the town meeting from voting on the budget or invalidate its vote. The report must be filed and made available at least 14 days before the spring town meeting opens.

The charter text sets January 31 as a date for a town planning document. Section 6.6 is identified as the section defining the capital improvement plan. The text does not state which fiscal year the January 31 date applies to.