[Amended 9-28-1993; 5-5-1997]
The Annual Town Meeting shall be held, unless an alternative
date is determined by the Town Council as provided below, on the third
Monday of April in each year and may be adjourned from time to time.
The Town Council may by resolution adopted not later than the preceding
November 1 determine that the Annual Town Meeting shall be held on
a date subsequent to the third Monday of April, which date shall not
be later than seven days after such third Monday of April. Special
Town Meetings shall be called by the Council at its discretion and
when required under the terms of this Charter and in the manner provided
by the General Statutes.
[Amended 7-1-2003]
All Town Meetings shall be called to order by the Town Clerk
or, in his/her absence, by the Town Manager or the Chair of the Council.
A Moderator shall be elected and all business conducted in the manner
provided by the General Statutes, except as in this Charter otherwise
provided. The Town Clerk shall serve as clerk of all Town Meetings,
but in his/her absence an acting clerk may be designated by the Meeting.
Such Meeting shall be governed by Robert's Rules of Order.
[Amended 11-5-1968; 11-3-1970; 11-8-1988; 5-5-1997]
A. Any ordinance or resolution making an appropriation of more than
$200,000 but less than $400,000, for any purpose, any resolution providing
for the sale of any Town property for more than $200,000 but less
than $400,000, any ordinance or resolution authorizing the issuance
of bonds or notes of less than $400,000, except notes issued in anticipation
of taxes to be paid within the fiscal year in which issued, notes
issued in anticipation of the receipt of the proceeds of bonds which
have been duly authorized and notes issued in anticipation of sewer
or water assessments, shall become effective only after it has been
adopted at a Town Meeting by a vote of the majority of those present
and entitled to vote at such Meeting.
[Amended 7-1-2003]
B. The Town Meeting shall not act upon any proposal for the sale or
purchase of real estate, when such Town Meeting is required, or the
issuance of bonds or other borrowing, except upon the recommendation
of the Council, nor act upon any appropriation which has not been
acted upon by the Council, unless the same shall have been before
the Council 60 days without action. The Town Meeting shall neither
increase nor decrease the amount of any bond issue, borrowing or appropriation
recommended by the Council. The Council may, in its discretion, require
that a proposal for the sale or purchase of real estate or the issuance
of bonds or other borrowing or any other proposal it may deem of sufficient
importance be submitted to those entitled to vote by law at an Annual
Meeting or at a Special Meeting called for such purpose and that such
proposal shall become effective only after it has been approved by
a majority of those voting at such Meeting.
[Amended 9-28-1993]
C. Any appropriation of $400,000 or more, any resolution providing for sale of any Town property for $400,000 or more and any ordinance or resolution authorizing the issuance of bonds or notes of $400,000 or more, other than part of the annual budget, shall be placed on the call of a Town Meeting, and after completion of other business and after reasonable discussion on such appropriation, ordinance or resolution, the Moderator of such Meeting shall adjourn the Meeting and such appropriation, ordinance or resolution shall become effective only after it has been submitted to the persons qualified to vote in such Meeting on the tenth day thereafter for a yes or no vote on the voting machines between the hours of 12:00 Noon and 8:00 p.m., except as provided hereinafter and in Subsection
D, and the voting machine ballot labels shall be provided by the Town Clerk. The Council may determine that voting at any such referendum shall open at an hour earlier than 12:00 Noon, but not earlier than 6:00 a.m.
[Amended 7-1-2003]
D. If the vote by voting machine on any such appropriation, ordinance
or resolution hereinabove mentioned is held on the same day as a municipal
or state election, voting hours on the aforesaid appropriation, ordinance
or resolution shall be the same as the concurrent or state election
voting hours. A ballot box will be maintained at each polling place,
and property owners who are not electors of the Town of Farmington
but who are eligible to vote on said appropriation, ordinance or resolution
pursuant to C.G.S. § 7-6, as amended, shall vote by ballot,
to be provided by the Town Clerk, and deposit the same in said ballot
box. Any such appropriation, ordinance or resolution mentioned in
the immediately preceding subsection shall become effective if approved
by a majority of those voting thereon.
E. Any other item or items, with the exception of the annual budget,
on the call of any Town Meeting may, if the Council deems it advisable,
be submitted to a vote on the voting machines in the same manner as
aforesaid and, if approved by a majority of those voting thereon,
shall become effective. Any items to be submitted to a vote on the
voting machines shall have such fact set forth in the call of the
Town Meeting and in any legal notice pertaining to such Meeting.
[Amended 5-5-1997]
All other ordinances, resolutions or votes of the council, except
those recommending the annual budget or setting the date of the Annual
Town Meeting, any subsequent Town Meeting considering the annual budget
or any referendum thereon, making appointments or removals or regulating
exclusively the internal procedure of the Council, shall be subject
to overrule by a Special Town Meeting as follows: If within 20 days
after the publication of any such ordinance, resolution or vote, a
petition signed by no less than 10% of the electors of the Town, as
determined from the latest official list of the registrars of voters,
is filed with the Town Clerk requesting its reference to a Special
Town Meeting, the effective date of such ordinance, resolution or
vote shall be suspended and the Council shall fix the item and place
of such meeting, which shall be within 20 days after the filing of
the petition, and notice thereof shall be given in the manner provided
by law for the calling of a Special Town Meeting. An ordinance, resolution
or vote so referred shall take effect upon the conclusion of such
Meeting unless at least 100 electors, constituting a majority of those
voting thereon, shall have voted in the negative.