Maine § 1673. - Finance -- Article VIII

§ 1673.. Finance -- Article VIII

1.  Budget.  The conference shall submit to the governor or designated officer or officers of each party state a budget of its estimated expenditures for such period as may be required by the laws of that party state for presentation to the legislature thereof.

2.  Appropriations.  Each of the conference's budgets of estimated expenditures shall contain specific recommendations of the amount or amounts to be appropriated by each of the party states. The total amount of appropriations under any such budget shall be apportioned among the party states as follows: One-third in equal shares; one-third divided among the party states in the proportions that their populations bear to the total population of all the party states; and one-third divided among the party states in the proportions that the major crimes committed in each party state bear to the total number of major crimes committed in all the party states. In determining population pursuant to this subsection, the most recent decennial census compiled by the United States Government shall be used. Numbers of major crimes shall be as reported in the most recent annual "Uniform Crime Report" compiled by the Federal Bureau of Investigation of the United States Department of Justice, or by any agency which may assume responsibility for such compilation in the place of such bureau. In the event that any source of information required to be used for the purpose of this subsection shall be discontinued, the conference shall make its calculations on the basis of the best alternative sources of information and shall identify the sources used.

3.  Pledge of credit.  The conference shall not pledge the credit of any party state. The conference may meet any of its obligations in whole or in part with funds available to it under Article III, subsection 10 of this compact, provided that the conference takes specific action setting aside such funds prior to incurring any obligation to be met in whole or in part in such manner. Except where the conference makes use of funds available to it under Article III, subsection 10 hereof, the conference shall not incur any obligation prior to the allotment of funds by the party states adequate to meet the same.

4.  Receipts and disbursements.  The conference shall keep accurate accounts of all receipts and disbursements. The receipts and disbursements of the conference shall be subject to the audit and accounting procedures established under its rules. However, all receipts and disbursements of funds handled by the conference shall be audited yearly by a qualified, public accountant and the report of the audit shall be included in and become part of the annual report of the conference.

5.  Inspection of accounts.  The accounts of the conference shall be open at any reasonable time for inspection by duly constituted officers of the party states and any persons authorized by the conference.

6.  Audit.  Nothing contained herein shall be construed to prevent conference compliance with laws relating to audit or inspection of accounts by or on behalf of any government contributing to the support of the conference.