2402 CHAP. 257 BOARDS OF FINANCE. [Jan., orders, which may be drawn by the comptroller, under the provisions of this act, shall not exceed five thousand dollars in any fiscal year of the state. Approved, May 10, 1917. Towns may establish boards of finance. Boards of finance, how established. Composition of boards of finance. Only expenses of members to be paid. Election of members of boards of finance. [Substitute for House Bill No. 530.] CHAPTER 257. An Act providing for the Establishment of Boards of Finance. SECTION 1. Any town, at a town meeting called for the purpose, may, by resolution, provide for the establishment of a board of finance and prescribe the term of office of its members and its powers and duties subject to the provisions of this act. SEC. 2. The election in any town at which such resolution may be adopted shall be warned and held in the manner provided for the election of officers therein. If the vote on such resolution be in the affirmative, such resolution and a certificate of the vote shall be recorded by the clerk of such town and a certified copy thereof shall be filed by such clerk in the office of the secretary of the state, who shall record the same. The vote on such question shall be by ballot or by voting machine as may be prescribed by such town. SEC. 3. Said board of finance shall be composed of six electors and taxpayers of said town who shall hold no salaried office. The members of the board shall be sworn to a faithful performance of their duties. No member shall receive compensation for his services as such, but the necessary expenses of the board, when duly approved, shall be paid by the town. SEC. 4. At the next annual election after the adoption of such resolution or at a special election legally warned for such purpose, the town shall elect by ballot six electors and taxpayers of said town, who shall constitute the board of finance, two of whom shall be elected to serve until the next annual election and until their successors are elected and qualified, two to serve until the second annual election from such date and until their successors are elected and qualified and two to serve until the third annual election from such date and until their successors are elected and qualified. At each annual election thereafter, the town shall elect by ballot in the same manner as the town officers are elected, two electors who are taxpayers of said town as members of said board of finance to serve for a period of three years and until their successors are elected and qualified. CHAP. 257 Certain town officials to be members of boards of SEC. 5. The first selectman of the town shall be a member ex officio of such board and shall preside at all meetings at which he is present, but shall have no vote except in case of a tie. The town clerk shall be clerk of the board and at all finance. meetings of said board four members, exclusive of the chairman of the board of selectmen, shall constitute a quorum and the concurrence of three votes shall be necessary for the transaction of business. The board may hold such regular and special Meetings of meetings as may be advisable at any time upon giving at least board. twenty-four hours' notice to each member before the time of said meeting. The clerk of the board shall issue a call for a special meeting either at the direction of the chairman of the board or upon written request of any two members thereof. filled. SEC. 6. In case of a vacancy in the membership of said Vacancies in board by reason of death, resignation, refusal to act or removal board, how of residence from the town of any member, the remaining members of the board shall, at a special meeting called by the chairman for that purpose, by a majority vote, appoint a successor who shall serve until the next annual election and until his successor is elected and qualified. At the next annual election following the occurrence of such vacancy, the voters shall choose a successor to fill the vacancy for the unexpired term and the office to be filled shall be designated on the ballot by the words "To fill vacancy." Board to hold public meeting on appro lish estimate of expenditures SEC. 7. Not less than two weeks before the annual town meeting in each year, said board shall hold a public meeting, at which meeting itemized estimates of the expenditures of the priations. town for the ensuing fiscal year shall be presented, and shall hear all persons who may wish to be heard in regard to any appropriation which they are desirous that said board should recommend. Said board shall, after such public hearing, hold Board to puban executive session at which it shall consider the estimates so presented and any other matters brought to its attention and and revenue. shall thereupon prepare and cause to be published in a newspaper in such town, if any there be, otherwise in a newspaper having a substantial circulation in said town, an itemized estimate of the expenditures of such town for the ensuing fiscal year and shall exhibit the expenditures of the town during the preceding fiscal year and the amount of revenue which it is estimated will be received during the ensuing year from all sources except that of taxes to be raised on the grand list next to be completed, and such statement shall also contain an itemized list of the debts and obligations of said town. Said board shall recommend in such estimate such rate of taxation as it shall deem necessary. It shall submit such estimate and tax rate. recommendation to the annual town meeting next ensuing, and said meeting shall take action upon such recommendations and Board to recommend 2404 BOARDS OF FINANCE. [Jan., CHAP. 257 Tax rate to be pay expenses. make such specific appropriations as may appear advisable and shall adjourn to a day after the grand list has been completed by the board of relief. Such tax shall be laid as such meeting large enough to shall determine, provided no tax shall be levied which, in addition to the other estimated yearly income of the town, shall be insufficient to pay the expenses of the town for the current year, and no appropriation shall be made exceeding in amount that for the same purpose recommended by said board and no appropriation shall be made for any purpose not recommended by said board. Tax may be apportioned over a period not exceeding five years. Bond issue provided for. Board author unexpended balances. SEC. 8. Should any expenditure authorized in the budget or by said town meeting be of so large an amount that the tax laid to pay it would make the total tax so high as in the judgment of said board to be inconsistent with the public welfare, said board may apportion the tax for such expenditure over a period of years, not to exceed five, and the amount apportioned each year shall be thereafter included in the budget as a fixed charge until such time as the total amount of such expenditure is paid. If the electors of such town shall, at a legal meeting held for such purpose, vote to issue bonds, the interest on such bonds, and an annual appropriation for a sinking fund sufficient to pay the same at maturity, shall be included in the budget as a fixed charge. SEC. 9. The board shall have power to transfer unexized to transfer pended balances from one appropriation to another, but no amount appropriated for any purpose, whether general or special, shall be used or appropriated for any other purpose unless the same shall be recommended by such board. Limitation on towns to make contracts in excess of appropriations. Board authorzed to SEC. 10. No officer of such town shall expend or enter into any contract by which the town shall become liable for any sum which, with any contract then in force, shall exceed the appropriation for the department, except in cases of necessity connected with the repair of highways and bridges and the care of town poor, and then not to exceed one hundred dollars. Should any occasion arise whereby more money is needed for any department of the town than has been appropriated as provided for herein, the selectmen shall notify the board of finance of such fact, and the chairman of said board shall forthwith call a meeting thereof to consider the appropriation for such department and said board may make the necessary appropriation therefor, after inquiry, but, if the amount required shall exceed five hundred dollars, such appropriation shall not be made until upon the recommendation of said board the same has been voted by the town at a meeting called for such purpose. If such appropriation is made after the laying of the tax the amount of such appropriation shall be included in and made a part of the next tax levied, provided the provisions of this act shall not be a limitation upon the town in issuing bonds under the provisions of the general statutes or expending the proceeds thereof in accordance with the vote of such town. CHAP. 258 SEC. 11. Should any officer, in violation of any provision Penalty. of this act, expend or cause to be expended any money of such town, except for the purpose of paying judgments rendered against such town, he shall be liable in civil action in the name of such town, and the amount so drawn from the treasury of such town shall be liquidated damages in such action against any such officer. SEC. 12. Any town voting to establish a board of finance Board not to shall not vote to abolish the same until the expiration of two . years from the date of the vote to establish the same. SEC. 13. This act shall take effect from its passage. Approved, May 10, 1917. be abolished [Substitute for House Bill No. 654.] CHAPTER 258. An Act amending an Act concerning Salaries of Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives in Salaries of SECTION 1. Section one of chapter 129 of the public acts SEC. 2. This act shall take effect from its passage. 2406 CHAP. 259 MOVING PICTURE SHOWS. [Jan.,. Purchaser of ticket must be ing room only is available. [Senate Bill No. 631.] CHAPTER 259. An Act concerning Moving Picture Shows. Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives in No person owning, managing or conducting any place where told that stand- any moving picture or theatrical production is exhibited, shall sell any admission ticket or charge or receive any admission fee or collect or receive any valuable thing from any person after the seating capacity of such place has been exhausted, unless, at the time of such sale, charge, receipt or collection, the person making such sale, charge or collection or receiving such admission fee or valuable thing shall distinctly announce to the person making such purchase or from whom such charge or collection shall be made or fee or valuable thing received, that standing room only is available. The state police shall, in order to insure safety and health, limit the number of persons that may occupy standing room in each place where any moving picture or theatrical production is exhibited, and shall require the person owning, managing or conducting such place to conspicuously display at each entrance thereto, a placard upon which shall be plainly printed such standing room capacity. Any person violating any provision of this act shall be fined not more than twenty-five dollars, or imprisoned not more than thirty days, or both. Approved, May 14, 1917. Saloons [House Bill No. 163.] CHAPTER 260. An Act concerning the Closing of Saloons on Memorial Day. Section 2699 of the general statutes as amended by chapter 230 of the public acts of 1907, by chapter 194 of the public acts of 1909 and by chapter 82 of the public acts of 1913 is amended to read as follows: Every person who by himself, his servant or agent, between the hours of twelve o'clock of the night preceding and five o'clock of the morning following the day celebrated as Christmas day or the day celebrated as Memorial day or the day of any state, town or municipal election, shall keep open any room, place, enclosure, structure or building in which spirituous and intoxicating liquors are sold or offered and |