H8546aaCities & Towns

Regarding Motions at the Town of Scituate Annual Financial Town Meeting

Requires advance notice and ten signatures for motions changing Scituate's town budget by $10,000 or more at the annual financial town meeting.

Introduced38 Yea0 Nay0 Not voting

Population
Affected

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Introduced May 13, 2026Committee House Municipal Government & Housing

Plain-English Summary

This bill amends the rules governing the annual financial town meeting in the Town of Scituate. It establishes a new procedural requirement for proposing significant changes to the town council's recommended budget. Specifically, if the town council finalizes and posts its budget recommendation on the town's website by the fourth Thursday in April, any motion to increase or decrease an appropriation by $10,000 or more must be submitted well in advance of the June meeting.

To make such a motion, residents must submit a notice of intention signed by at least ten qualified electors to the town treasurer no later than May 15. The town is then required to include this notice in the meeting warrant or post it on the town's website at least seven days prior to the town meeting. This ensures that all voters are aware of proposed major financial changes before they arrive at the meeting. If the proper notice is provided, attendees at the meeting may still consider and vote on amendments to that motion for lesser amounts.

The implementation of these new procedural rules is contingent upon direct voter approval. The bill mandates that the question of accepting or rejecting this act be placed on the ballot for Scituate voters during the general election scheduled for November 3, 2026. If approved by a majority of voters, the new rules will govern future financial town meetings.

For younger readers

This bill changes how the town of Scituate runs its yearly budget meeting. If someone wants to change the town's proposed budget by $10,000 or more, they have to get 10 signatures and tell the town in advance. The people who live in Scituate will get to vote on whether they want this new rule in 2026.

Who & Where It Applies

Impacted groups

Scituate residentsScituate qualified electorsScituate Town CouncilScituate Town Treasurer

Impacted communities

Scituate

Constitutional & Fiscal Check

Low. The bill simply modifies local municipal meeting procedures and includes a local referendum for approval, which is standard practice for town-specific legislation in Rhode Island.

Estimated cost

Not specified

Estimated revenue

Not specified

Bill Analysis

Both viewpoints

For Progressives

Increases transparency by ensuring large budget changes are posted online before the meeting.
Prevents surprise cuts to essential public services or school budgets at the town meeting.
Allows voters to have a direct say on whether to adopt these rules via a ballot referendum.
Creates a procedural hurdle (gathering 10 signatures by a specific deadline) for grassroots efforts to amend the budget.
May limit the ability of residents to spontaneously propose increased funding for social programs during the meeting.

For Conservatives

Prevents surprise tax increases or massive spending hikes from being passed without prior public notice.
Ensures fiscal stability by requiring a structured process for significant budget alterations.
Leaves the final decision to local voters through a democratic referendum.
Restricts the traditional direct democracy aspect of the financial town meeting.
Makes it harder for taxpayers to spontaneously propose significant cuts to wasteful spending during the meeting.

Votes

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Full Bill Text

2 versions

Changes to existing Rhode Island law · 12 additions

WHEREAS, The Town Council of the Town of Scituate on April 9, 2026 adopted a resolution requesting that the general assembly enact the following provision relating to the annual financial town meeting: Provided that the appropriations recommended by the Town Council have been made no later than the fourth Thursday in April immediately preceding the town meeting to be held on the first Tuesday in June, no motion which increases or reduces an appropriation recommended by the town council by $10,000.00 or more, shall be in order at such meeting unless notice of intention to make such motion has been presented to the town treasurer with the signatures of not less than ten (10) qualified electors of the town no later than the May 15 immediately preceding said such meeting. Notice of such motion shall be included in the publication required under § 44-35-6. Provided notice of such motion has been made, then amendments made at such town meeting to such motion for any lesser amount may be considered at the town meeting.

SECTION 1. Section 4 of Chapter 1321 of the Public Laws Of, 1915, entitled “An Act Fixing The Time For The Election Of Officers In The Town Of Scituate” as previously amended by Chapter 3777 of the Public Laws of 1956, and by Chapters 225 and 312 of the Public Laws of 2022, is hereby amended to read as follows: “Sec. 4. The town meeting for the ordering and disposing of taxes and consideration of all matters relating to the finances of said town, shall be held in the calendar year 2023 on the first Tuesday next after the first Monday in April at 7:00 P.M., and in the calendar year 2024 and thereafter on the first Tuesday in the month of June at 7:00 P.M., at which meeting the town moderator shall preside. The meeting shall be held in the town of Scituate at such location as the town council shall determine by resolution from time to time, unless the alternative provisions of § 45-3-4, are invoked by the town council. Provided that the budget recommended by the town council has been made no later than the fourth Thursday in April immediately preceding the town meeting to be held on the first Tuesday in June, and such budget recommendation has been posted on the town's website within seven (7) calendar days thereafter, no motion which increases or reduces an appropriation recommended by the town council by $10,000 or more, shall be in order at such meeting unless notice of intention to make such motion has been presented to the town treasurer with the signatures of not less than ten (10) qualified electors of the town no later than the May 15 immediately preceding said such meeting. Notice of any such motion shall be included in the warrant required under § 45-3-8 or posted on the town's website at least seven (7) days prior to such town meeting. Provided notice of such motion has been made, then amendments made at such town meeting to such motion for any lesser amount may be considered at the town meeting.”

SECTION 2. The question of the acceptance or rejection of this act shall be submitted to the electors of the town at the general election to be held on November 3, 2026. The question shall be submitted in substantially the following form: “Shall an act, passed at the 2026 session of the General Assembly, entitled ‘AN ACT REGARDING MOTIONS AT THE TOWN OF SCITUATE ANNUAL FINANCIAL TOWN MEETING’ be approved?" and the warning for the election shall contain the question to be submitted. The Town Board of Canvassers may combine any two or more voting districts for the election and when so combined shall be treated as a voting district. If so combined, the Town Board of Canvassers shall advertise the combination of districts in a newspaper of general circulation in the Town. From the time the election is warned and until it is held, it shall be the duty of the Town Clerk to keep a copy of the act available at his or her office for public inspection, but the validity of the election shall not be affected by this requirement. The town clerk of the town of Scituate shall forthwith after said town meeting certify to the secretary of state the result of this vote upon the question submitted.

SECTION 3. This section and section 2 of this act shall take effect upon passage, and the remainder of this act shall take effect upon the approval of this act by a majority of those voting on the question at the election prescribed by section 2.