Budget Committee

Meeting Times

The Budget Committee generally meets at the Brentwood Town Offices Mondays at 6:00 p.m. during the budget cycle from late August through mid-March. See above postings for dates. All meetings welcome visitors and department heads.

About the Budget Committee

The Brentwood Budget Committee was formed by a Town Meeting vote in 1971. Per RSA 32 six members were appointed from the floor by the moderator; two for 1 year terms, two for 2 year terms and three for 3 year terms. Two members are elected annually for three year terms. Occasionally members are appointed by the committee to fill seats vacated by the resignation of standing members. The School Board and the Board of Selectmen each appoint a representative to the committee bringing the total membership to 7.

The duty of the Budget Committee is to prepare the budget for submission to each annual or special meeting of the voters of the municipality, and, if the municipality is a town, the budgets of any school district wholly within the town, except if the warrants do not propose any expenditure. There are required meetings with governing bodies, or department heads and other officials to establish estimated revenues and expenses.

After the required public hearings are held, the committee must post and forward the recommended budgets to the respective governing bodies 20 days before the annual Town or School District Meetings. The result of this process is the budget that voters vote on at the annual town meeting. Voters, the legislative body, can raise the recommended budget by no more than 10 percent of the recommended budget less fixed charges such as bonds, notes, and mandatory governmental assessments, state, county and federal.