2023 Annual Town Meeting & FY24 Budget Timeline
Budget season for 2023-24 is already underway – we’ll keep our timeline updated as the year progresses so you can follow along.
FY24 Town & School Budget Websites
September 29, 2022
- Town Manager gains consensus on budget timeline and budget message with Select Board, Appropriation Committee and School Committee. (Charter § 7-2(a))
- Town Manager issues Budget Schedule.
September 30, 2022 – CFO distributes budget materials.
October 1, 2022 – Deadline for establishing and issuing budget schedule (Charter § 7-2(a))
October 13, 2022 – Deadline to submit CPC applications
November 1, 2022
- Municipal Services budgets due to Town Manager.
- Select Board discusses its potential articles, including any General Bylaw changes
November 14, 2022
- Town Manager CIP review.
- CPC capital requests due to CIC
- Long Term capital plans due to CIC.
December 1, 2022 – Town officials and multiple member bodies may submit draft warrant articles to Town Counsel for review and comment (S.B. policy).
December 6, 2022 – Select Board discusses its own potential articles, including any General Bylaw changes.
December 8, 2022 – Select Board, School Committee, Appropriation Committee Joint Meeting – Budget Update
December 15, 2022 – School Superintendent presents budget
December 19, 2022 – Town Manager completes Municipal Services budget review.
December 20, 2022
- CIC & CPC complete capital hearings and submit to Town Manager.
- Select Board vote to open the ATM warrant on January 1, 2023 (or before). (120 days before ATM)
- Select Board discusses its own potential articles, including any General Bylaw changes.
January 1, 2023 – ATM Warrant opens. Submission of proposed warrant articles begins.
January 5, 2023 – School Superintendent presents budget to School Committee
January 10, 2023 – Select Board discusses its own potential ATM articles.
January 12, 2023 – School Committee Public Hearing/Board Discussion, with Select Board and Appropriation Committee
January 19, 2023 – School Committee Votes FY 23 Budget
January 24, 2023 – Select Board review its own ATM articles; vote to submit own articles into warrant.
January 24, 2023 – Town Manager submits a consolidated budget to the Select Board.
January 31, 2023
- ATM Warrant closes (90 days before ATM, Charter § 2-3).
- All petitions for warrant articles submitted to Town Clerk for signature confirmation.
- Town Manager refers all appropriation articles to Appropriation Committee.
- Select Board refers voter petitions to Board of Registrars (MGL c.39 § 10).
- Select Board refers all zoning articles to Planning Bd. within 14 days of submission (MGL c.40A § 5).
- Select Board conducts budget and capital hearings.
- Select Board reviews language of its own ATM articles.
February, 2023 – Planning Board public hearing on zoning articles (date scheduled by Planning Board, Zoning Bylaw §210-153; MGL c.40A §5
February 7, 2023 – Draft ATM Warrant to Town Counsel
February 7, 14, 28, 2023
- Select Board budget and capital hearings.
- Select Board finalize language of its own ATM articles.
March, 2023 Public Forum – General Bylaw articles submitted into Warrant, hosted by those proposing the General Bylaw articles. (optional)
March 14, 2023
- Select Board budget and capital hearings.
- Select Board finalize language of its own ATM articles.
- Select Board adopts budget and capital and submits to Appropriation Committee.
- Draft ATM Warrant to Select Board for review.
- Working session with Department Heads – Non-financial Warrant articles, as needed.
- Select Board take positions on Warrant articles
March 27, 2023 – Last day to file nomination papers for town election (MGL c.53 § 7, 49 days prior to election).
March 28, 2023 – Select Board Review ATM Warrant Select Board take positions on Warrant articles
April 4, 2023
- Select Board review ATM Warrant.
- Select Board take positions on Warrant articles.
- Select Board finalize ballot questions.
- Select Board review draft Motions.
April 6, 2023 – Appropriation Committee holds hearing and votes on budget and delivers required report by April 17. (At least 14 days before ATM, Charter § 7-2(b))
April 7, 2023 – Warrant and Motions Document completed.
April 10, 2023
- Deadline for submission of powerpoint presentations for ATM. Send to Moderator for approval.
- Deadline for final written notice of any ballot questions to be submitted to the Town Clerk (35 days before annual town election, MGL c.54 § 42C).
April 11, 2023
- Select Board review draft Motions.
- Select Board take positions on Warrant articles.
- Select Board sign ATM Warrant.
- Select Board discuss its town meeting presentations.
- April 11, 2023 Last day to register to vote for the Annual Town Meeting and Annual Town Election (20 days before Town Meeting/Election M.G.L. c. 51 § 1F).
April 12, 2023 – Moderator’s Meeting: Review of final motions and meeting process with Town Counsel, SB Chair, Moderator, Appropriation Committee Chair, Town Manager, Principal Planner/Planning Board Chair, School Committee Chair, School Superintendent, Finance Director, Town Clerk, Asst. Town Manager, Deputy Moderator.
April 17, 2023
- Appropriation Committee Report Due (At least 14 days before ATM, Charter § 7-2(b))
- Town Report, Q&As and other documents made available (Annual Town Report 14 days before ATM, Charter § 3-1(f)).
- All Town Meeting Reports/handouts Are Published and Available to the Public
April 18, 2023 – Select Board review and assign town meeting duties/presentations.
April 21, 2023 – Combined Election and Warrant posted at least 8 days before ATM (Bylaws § 47-1; MGL c.39 §§ 9A, 10).
May 1, 2023 – Annual Town Meeting (First Monday in May, Bylaws § 47-2)
May 15, 2023 -Annual Town Election (3rd Monday in May, Bylaws § 47-2)