There shall be a Town Council consisting of
nine (9) members referred to as the Council. The members of which
shall serve without compensation except for the reimbursement of actual
expenses incurred in the performance of official duties. No member
of the Council shall hold any other office or position under the government
of the Town of North Branford.
[Amended 11-5-1996]
The Town Council shall meet on or before the
first Monday in December following the election. The Mayor shall preside
over all meetings of the Council and perform such other duties consistent
with his or her office as may be imposed by the Council, but such
office shall not deprive the Mayor or Deputy Mayor of his or her vote
on any question. The Mayor shall be the official head of the Town
for all ceremonial purposes or for military purposes. During the Mayor's
absence or disability his or her duties shall be performed by the
Deputy Mayor. The Mayor shall act as moderator for the annual Town
budget meeting.
At the first meeting of the Council following
the election, the Council shall appoint a Clerk to serve at the pleasure
of the Council whose compensation shall be set by the Council.
At the first meeting of the Council following
each biennial Town election, said Council shall, by resolution, fix
the time and place of its regular meeting, which shall not be held
less than monthly. Special meetings of the Council may be called by
the Mayor upon reasonable written notice to all Council members. In
the absence, disability or refusal of the Mayor to call a special
meeting, a majority of the Council may call such a meeting. All meetings
of the Council shall be open to the public and the ayes and nays of
each and every vote of the Council shall be by roll call vote and
recorded in the journal of the Council. Six (6) members shall constitute
a quorum, but no ordinance or resolution, except a vote to adjourn
or to fix the time and place for the next meeting, shall be adopted
by less than five (5) affirmative votes. All ordinances and resolutions
shall be confined to one (1) subject which shall be clearly stated
in the title. The Council shall keep for public inspection a journal
of all its proceedings, including all roll call votes, which shall
be part of the official record of all its proceedings. Said journal
shall be maintained by the Clerk of the Council. The record so kept
shall be authenticated for each meeting by the signature of the Mayor
or the Clerk, or both.
The Town Council shall have the powers and duties which, on the effective date of this Charter, were conferred by law upon officers, boards and commissions and Town meetings of North Branford existing immediately prior to such date except as otherwise provided in this Charter. The legislative power of the Town shall be vested exclusively in the Council, except as provided herein concerning the annual budget meeting and initiative and referendum. Said Council shall have the power to enact, amend or repeal ordinances not inconsistent with this Charter and the General Statutes of the state; to create, by ordinance, boards, commissions, departments and offices; and to abolish, by ordinance, boards, commissions, departments and offices except those provided by this Charter. Any new administrative office created by the Council shall be filled by and under the jurisdiction of the Manager. The Council may, upon recommendation of the Manager, contract for services and the use of facilities of the United States or any federal agency, the State of Connecticut or any political subdivision thereof, or may, by agreement, join with any such political subdivision to provide services and facilities. Said Council may fix the charges, if any, to be made for services rendered by the Town or for the execution of powers vested in the Town as provided in Article I of this Charter.
[Amended 11-2-2004; 11-6-2012]
At least one (1) public hearing, notice of which
shall be given no more than ten (10) days in advance by publication
in a newspaper having a circulation in said Town, shall be held by
the Town Council before any ordinance shall be passed. Every ordinance,
after passage, shall be filed with the Town Clerk, and be recorded,
compiled, and published, as required by the law. Within ten (10) days
after final passage, all ordinances shall be published once in a newspaper
having circulation within the Town. An ordinance need not be published
in full. A summary of an ordinance may be published that includes
a disclaimer that the description is for informational purposes and
a full copy is available in the office of the Town Clerk. Every ordinance,
unless it shall specify a later date, shall become effective on the
21st day after such publication following its final passage.
An ordinance stated to be a public emergency
measure and stating the facts constituting such public emergency shall
become effective immediately upon passage, and no public hearing shall
be required for any public emergency ordinance. However, no such emergency
ordinance shall be adopted by less than six (6) affirmative votes.
Every such emergency ordinance shall automatically stand repealed
at the termination of the 61st day following final passage of said
ordinance.
The Town Council shall have the power to investigate
any and all offices and agencies of the Town and for such purposes
shall have the power to summon witnesses to appear before the Council
to testify on any matter under investigation.
The Council and its members shall deal with
the Town Manager's appointees and their subordinates solely through
the Town Manager. Neither the Council nor any member thereof shall
give orders to any of the subordinates of the Manager either publicly
or privately. For purposes of investigation, the Council may call
any employee or officer before a properly constituted meeting of the
Council, provided that the Town Manager has been invited to attend.
The Council shall designate annually a certified
public accountant or a firm of certified public accountants to audit
the books and accounts of the Town in accordance with the provisions
of the General Statutes.
A.
The electors shall have the power by petition as hereinafter
set forth to propose to the Council any ordinance or other measure
except an ordinance or resolution:
B.
If the Council fails to adopt such ordinance or other
measure within thirty (30) days after a petition making such a proposal
shall have been filed with the Clerk of the Council, the electors
may adopt or reject the same at an election held within ninety (90)
days after such proposed ordinance or measure was originally filed
with the Clerk of the Council, provided that such petition shall have
been signed by qualified electors of the Town equal in number to at
least five percent (5%) of the registered voters at the last municipal
election. Said petition shall be accompanied by affidavits signed
and sworn to by each circulator of such petition, certifying to the
authenticity of the signatures on such petition. The Town Clerk shall
determine the sufficiency of the petition and the affidavits in accordance
with provisions of the General Statutes. A majority vote of the electors
to pass the proposal shall not become effective unless at least twenty
percent (20%) of the electors entitled to vote on the question shall
have voted.
C.
No ordinance or other measure which shall have been
adopted in accordance with the provisions of this section shall be
repealed or amended by the Council except by petition and vote of
the electors.
A.
The electors shall have the power to approve or reject
at a referendum as herein provided any ordinance or other measure
passed by the Council except an ordinance or resolution:
B.
Ordinances or other measures submitted to the Council by initiative petition as provided in § C4-11 and passed by the Council without change shall be subject to a referendum in the same manner as other ordinances or measures. Within thirty (30) days after the enactment by the Council of any ordinance, or within ten (10) days on any other measure which is subject to referendum, a petition signed by qualified electors of the Town equal in number to at least five percent (5%) of the registered voters at the last municipal election may be filed with the Town Clerk requesting that any such ordinance or other measure be either repealed or submitted to a vote of the electors. Said petition shall be accompanied by affidavits signed and sworn to by each circulator of such petition certifying to the authenticity of the signatures on such petition. The Town Clerk shall determine the sufficiency of the petition and the affidavits in accordance with provisions of the General Statutes. If the Council fails to repeal such ordinance or other measure within thirty (30) days from the filing of such petition, the question of repeal shall be submitted to the electors of the Town within ninety (90) days of the Council passage of such ordinance or other measure. Upon the filing of a sufficient petition, the ordinance or measure shall remain without effect until the electors vote on the question as above provided. A majority vote of the electors to repeal the ordinance or measure shall not become effective unless a total of at least twenty percent (20%) of the electors entitled to vote on the question shall have voted. If the vote to repeal fails, the ordinance or measure as passed by the Council shall become effective immediately.
