Section 16A. The powers, duties and liabilities of a regional school district shall be vested in and exercised by a regional district school committee organized in accordance with the agreement. The committee shall choose a chairman and vice chairman by ballot from its membership. The vice chairman shall, in the absence of the chairman, exercise the powers and perform the duties of said chairman. It shall appoint a secretary and a treasurer who may be the same person, but who need not be members of said committee. The treasurer shall receive and take charge of all money belonging to the district, and shall pay any bill of the district which shall have been approved by the committee. The committee may appoint an assistant treasurer who need not be a member of the committee, and who shall, in the absence of the treasurer, perform his duties and shall have the powers and be subject to the requirements and penalties applicable to him. The treasurer and assistant treasurer shall be persons of ability and experience and may, by vote of the committee, be compensated for their services. A treasurer of a member municipality of the district shall be eligible for appointment as treasurer or assistant treasurer. The treasurer and assistant treasurer of the district shall be subject to sections 35 and 109A of chapter 41, to the extent applicable. A business manager, assistant superintendent for business or employee with title of similar import with responsibilities similar to those of a town accountant shall be subject to section 52 of said chapter 41 and shall not hold the office of treasurer or assistant treasurer or hold any responsibilities for the receipt or disbursement of money. If the office of secretary is vacant or if the secretary is absent or is unable to perform his duties because of disability, the committee may appoint a temporary secretary to hold such office and exercise the powers and perform the duties thereof until a secretary is duly appointed or the secretary who was disabled or absent resumes his duties. The committee may appoint a school building committee which shall have such powers and duties relative to the construction, reconstruction, remodeling, repair, expansion or equipping of school buildings or facilities as the committee determines.

The regional school committee may designate any 1 of its members for the purpose of signing payroll warrants and accounts payable warrants to allow for the release of checks; provided, however, that the member shall make available to the board, at its next meeting, a record of such actions. This provision shall not limit the responsibility of each member of the board in the event of a noncompliance with this section.

The committee shall solicit proposals and contract with an independent certified public accountant to perform an annual financial audit and make management recommendations, and shall receive the audit report in public session. Copies of the audit shall be provided within 10 days to the director of accounts and to the board of selectmen, town manager, mayor or city manager, as the case may be, in each member municipality.