A. The excise boards of the various counties in the state may convene at any time after the beginning of any fiscal year, upon call of the chairman of the board, for the purpose of approving temporary appropriations for the counties, cities, school districts and other municipal subdivisions of the state. Whenever the governing board of any such county, city, school district or other municipal subdivision of the state shall present to the excise board of such county or of the county in which any such city, school district or other municipal subdivision is located in whole or in part, a verified application showing that the needs of such county, city, school district or other municipal subdivision so require, such excise board may make temporary appropriations for lawful current expenses of such county, city, school district or other municipal subdivision.

B. Warrants or checks may be drawn against such temporary appropriations pending action by the excise board upon the annual estimate of needs and budget of such county, city, school district or other municipal subdivision for such fiscal year. The amount which may be appropriated by such temporary appropriations shall in no event exceed the entire amount which the governing board, making the application, estimates will be available for the entire fiscal year for each purpose for which a temporary appropriation is requested; provided, however, the limitation on appropriations and any requirement for request or approval of temporary appropriations shall not apply to any city or town if the revenue from the ad valorem tax to the municipal general fund amounted to less than five percent (5%) of the total revenues accruing to the municipal general fund during the prior fiscal year. Such cities and towns may pay for lawful current expenditures pursuant to the estimate of needs as filed by the city or town and pending final action of the excise board.

C. Any such temporary appropriations so approved by the excise board of any county shall, when the annual budget for such county, city, school district or other municipal subdivision is finally approved, be merged in the annual appropriations for the same purposes and any warrant which has been, in the meantime, drawn against such temporary appropriations shall be charged against the final approved annual appropriations of such county, city, school district or other municipal subdivision for the said current fiscal year.

Added by Laws 1965, c. 501, § 2. Amended by Laws 1977, c. 60, § 1, eff. Oct. 1, 1977; Laws 1980, c. 226, § 6, emerg. eff. May 27, 1980; Laws 1983, c. 36, § 1, eff. Nov. 1, 1983; Laws 1988, c. 90, § 13, operative July 1, 1988. Renumbered from § 24100 of this title by Laws 1988, c. 162, § 163, eff. Jan. 1, 1992. Amended by Laws 1991, c. 236, § 5, eff. Sept. 1, 1991; Laws 2004, c. 361, § 17, eff. July 1, 2004.