Chapter 225
2022 -- H 8173
Enacted 06/30/2022

A N   A C T
IN AMENDMENT OF SECTION 4 OF CHAPTER 1321 OF THE PUBLIC LAWS, 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 AUTHORIZING THE TOWN OF SCITUATE TO CHANGE THE DATE OF ITS FISCAL YEAR AND ALLOWING THE TAX LEVY FOR A TRANSITIONAL FISCAL YEAR TO EXCEED THE MAXIMUM SET FORTH IN § 44-5-2.

Introduced By: Representative Robert J. Quattrocchi

Date Introduced: April 27, 2022

It is enacted by the General Assembly as follows:
     WHEREAS, The qualified electors of the Town town of Scituate adopted the following
resolution at its annual financial town meeting held on April 5, 2022:
     RESOLVED, That the qualified electors of the Town town of Scituate, in meeting of the
5th day of April, 2022, in order to facilitate the adoption of a fiscal year commencing on July 1st
of each year do hereby consent to and authorize the forwarding of legislation to the General
Assembly general assembly of the State state of Rhode Island for its consideration and adoption
providing the Town town of Scituate shall conduct its annual town meeting in the calendar year
2024 on the first Tuesday in the month of June at 7:00 P.M. and thereafter annually on the first
Tuesday in June in each year at 7:00 P.M. and the Town town of Scituate shall be authorized to
adopt a budget for the period of April 1, 2023, to June 30, 2024, and to levy such taxes on the rate-
able property of the Town town of Scituate and its inhabitants for the payment of Town town debt
and interest, for the payment of the Town’s town’s proportion of State Tax state tax, if any, for
the support of Schools schools, for the support and maintenance of the Poor poor, for the building,
repairing and amending of Highways highways, for the building, repairing, and amending of
Bridges bridges, for the improvement in any manner deemed fit of any property belonging to the
Town town, whether incidental or not to the above and for any and all other purposes authorized
by law; provided that, any such budget authorized thereunder shall be approved by the electors of
the Town town of Scituate and that such budget for the period of April 1, 2023, to June 30, 2024,
may exceed the maximum increase in levy of 4.0%, pursuant to R.I. General Laws § 44-5-2.
     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, is hereby amended to read as follows:
     "Sec. 4. The town meeting for the ordering and disposing of the taxes and consideration of
all matters relating to the finances of said town, shall be held at the town house where it is now
held, on the first Tuesday next after the first Monday in April in each year, at which meeting the
moderator of district number one shall preside. The town meeting to be held on the first Tuesday
next after the first Monday in April, 1957, and annually thereafter, shall be held in the auditorium
of the new junior-senior high school in said town."
     "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. Said The meeting shall be held in the Town town of Scituate at such
location as the Town Council town council shall determine by resolution from time to time, unless
the alternative provisions of § 45-3-4, are invoked by the Town Council town council."
     SECTION 2. The Town town of Scituate is authorized to adopt an annual
appropriation/budget for the period of April 1, 2023, to June 30, 2024, and to levy such taxes on
the rateable property of the Town town of Scituate and its inhabitants for any and all purposes
authorized by law, to fund such the annual appropriation/budget, provided that any such annual
appropriation/budget shall be approved by the electors of the Town town of Scituate and that the
tax levy to fund such the annual appropriation/ budget for the period of April 1, 2023, to June 30,
2024, may exceed the maximum increase in levy of 4.0% set by § 44-5-2.
     SECTION 3. Chapter 44-5 of the General Laws entitled "Levy and Assessment of Local
Taxes" is hereby amended by adding thereto the following section:
     44-5-2.3. Scituate - Maximum levy.
     (a) Notwithstanding any other provisions of this chapter, in connection with the change of
Scituate's fiscal year from April 1 to June 30, the town may levy a tax for its extended fiscal year
in excess of four percent (4.0%) in excess of the amount levied and certified by the town for the
prior year, and such tax levy may cover a period of sixteen (16) months.
     (b) "Extended fiscal year" means the period April 1, 2023, to June 30, 2024.
     (c) Notwithstanding the requirements of § 44-5-7(a), persons assessed pursuant to the
provisions of this section have the option to pay their taxes in quarterly installments, for the
extended fiscal year; provided that, the town is authorized to permit taxes to be paid in five (5)
equal installments.
     SECTION 4. This act shall take effect upon passage and all acts and parts of acts
inconsistent herewith are hereby repealed.
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LC005813
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