Thursday, April 8, 2010

BOF A No-Show On Budget

By all accounts, its has never happened before.  The Board of Finance was to meet last night to start its final work on the Budget but not enough Members showed up to make a quorum.

Of the six Member panel, only Chairman Joanne Chapin, Member Mark Vendetti and Alternate Bill Bennett showed up.  Members Gail Alexander, Bob Sherry, Larry Tripp and Frank Wargo were absent.  I am told that Larry Tripp is on vacation.

Contrary to Nanci Hutson's story in today's News-Times, two more regular, elected Members were required to make a quorum, not one as she reported.

Section 7-342 of the Connecticut General Statutes provides, "At all meetings of the board four members shall constitute a quorum..."

Only two "Members" and one Alternate were there.

Section 7-340a provides for the appointment by a regular Member of an Alternate to act in his place if he's absent.  I'm unaware if Mr. Bennett has received such an appointment but even if he has been so appointed, there remains a question of whether he can be counted to make a quorum.  The passage of By-Laws could help resolve the issues.

The Statutes provide that,"The concurrence of three votes shall be necessary for the transaction of business" and Section 705 of the Charter requires "an affirmative vote of at least four (4) members" to approve a Budget.  That approval must be made within 15 days after the final Public Hearing.  The Public Hearing was held on April 1 so the deadline for the BOF to act is April 16. If the BOF fails to act by April 16, the Budget that the Council approved goes to the voters.

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