REGARDING MOTIONS AT THE TOWN OF SCITUATE ANNUAL FINANCIAL TOWN MEETING, the official text

S3316 2026 -- S 3316 ======== LC006497 ======== STATE OF RHODE ISLAND IN GENERAL ASSEMBLY JANUARY SESSION, A.D. 2026 ____________ A N A C T REGARDING MOTIONS AT THE TOWN OF SCITUATE ANNUAL FINANCIAL TOWN MEETING Introduced By: Senators Rogers, and de la Cruz Date Introduced: May 22, 2026 Referred To: Senate Housing & Municipal Government It is enacted by the General Assembly as follows: 1 WHEREAS, The Town Council of the Town of Scituate on April 9, 2026 adopted a 2 resolution requesting that the general assembly enact the following provision relating to the annual 3 financial town meeting: 4 Provided that the appropriations recommended by the Town Council have been 5 made no later than the fourth Thursday in April immediately preceding the town meeting 6 to be held on the first Tuesday in June, no motion which increases or reduces an 7 appropriation recommended by the town council by $10,000.00 or more, shall be in order 8 at such meeting unless notice of intention to make such motion has been presented to the 9 town treasurer with the signatures of not less than ten (10) qualified electors of the town 10 no later than the May 15 immediately preceding said such meeting. Notice of such motion 11 shall be included in the publication required under § 44-35-6. Provided notice of such 12 motion has been made, then amendments made at such town meeting to such motion for 13 any lesser amount may be considered at the town meeting. 14 SECTION 1. Section 4 of Chapter 1321 of the Public Laws Of, 1915, entitled “An Act 15 Fixing The Time For The Election Of Officers In The Town Of Scituate” as previously amended 16 by Chapter 3777 of the Public Laws of 1956, and by Chapters 225 and 312 of the Public Laws of 17 2022, is hereby amended to read as follows: 18 “Sec. 4. The town meeting for the ordering and disposing of taxes and 1 consideration of all matters relating to the finances of said town, shall be held in the 2 calendar year 2023 on the first Tuesday next after the first Monday in April at 7:00 P.M., 3 and in the calendar year 2024 and thereafter on the first Tuesday in the month of June at 4 7:00 P.M., at which meeting the town moderator shall preside. The meeting shall be held 5 in the town of Scituate at such location as the town council shall determine by resolution 6 from time to time, unless the alternative provisions of § 45-3-4, are invoked by the town 7 council. Provided that the appropriations recommended by the town council have been 8 made no later than the fourth Thursday in April immediately preceding the town meeting 9 to be held on the first Tuesday in June, no motion which increases or reduces an 10 appropriation recommended by the town council by $10,000 or more, shall be in order at 11 such meeting unless notice of intention to make such motion has been presented to the 12 town treasurer with the signatures of not less than ten (10) qualified electors of the town 13 no later than the May 15 immediately preceding said such meeting. Notice of such motion 14 shall be included in the publication required under § 44-35-6. Provided notice of such 15 motion has been made, then amendments made at such town meeting to such motion for 16 any lesser amount may be considered at the town meeting. ” 17 SECTION 2. The question of the acceptance or rejection of this act shall be submitted to 18 the electors of the town at the general election to be held on November 3, 2026. The question shall 19 be submitted in substantially the following form: “Shall an act, passed at the 2026 session of the 20 General Assembly, entitled ‘AN ACT REGARDING MOTIONS AT THE TOWN OF SCITUATE 21 ANNUAL FINANCIAL TOWN MEETING’ be approved? and the warning for the election shall 22 contain the question to be submitted. The Town Board of Canvassers may combine any two or 23 more voting districts for the election and when so combined shall be treated as a voting district. If 24 so combined, the Town Board of Canvassers shall advertise the combination of districts in a 25 newspaper of general circulation in the Town. From the time the election is warned and until it is 26 held, it shall be the duty of the Town Clerk to keep a copy of the act available at his or her office 27 for public inspection, but the validity of the election shall not be affected by this requirement. 28 The town clerk of the town of Scituate shall forthwith after said town meeting certify to 29 the secretary of state the result of this vote upon the question submitted. 30 SECTION 3. This section and section 2 of this act shall take effect upon passage, and the 31 remainder of this act shall take effect upon the approval of this act by a majority of those voting on LC006497 - Page 2 of 4 1 the question at the election prescribed by section 2. ======== LC006497 ======== LC006497 - Page 3 of 4 EXPLANATION BY THE LEGISLATIVE COUNCIL OF A N A C T REGARDING MOTIONS AT THE TOWN OF SCITUATE ANNUAL FINANCIAL TOWN MEETING *** 1 This act would amend a public law regarding the fixing of time for the election of officers 2 in the town of Scituate by requiring prior notice and posting of motions to be made from the floor 3 at the annual financial town meeting of the town of Scituate now held on the first Tuesday in the 4 month of June. This requirement would not apply to special meetings held under §§ 45-3-6 or 45- 5 3-7. 6 Sections 2 and 3 of this act would take effect upon passage. The remainder of this act would 7 take effect upon the approval of this act by a majority of those voting on the question at the election 8 prescribed by section 2, by the electors of the town of Scituate at the November 3, 2026, general 9 election. ======== LC006497 ======== LC006497 - Page 4 of 4