The inhabitants of the Town of Johnston within
the corporate limits as now established or as hereafter established
in the manner provided by law, shall continue to be a municipal body
politic and corporate, under the name of Town of Johnston.
The form of town government provided by this
Charter shall be the mayor council form of government. Pursuant to
its provisions and subject only to the limitations imposed by the
state constitution and by this Charter, all powers of the town, including
those powers formerly vested in and exercised by the financial town
meeting which is hereby discontinued, shall be vested in an elected
town council which shall enact local legislation, and (in) an elected
mayor who shall be responsible for the execution of the laws and the
administration of the town government.
The town shall have all the powers granted to
towns by the Home Rule Amendment and other provisions of the constitution,
general laws of this state and special acts applicable to the town
together with all such additional powers as hereafter may be granted
to the towns by the laws of the state, together with all powers implied
in or incident to the powers expressly granted. The town shall have
power to sue and be sued, to enact ordinances and pass resolutions,
and to make rules and regulations necessary and proper for carrying
into execution its powers, and such ordinances may be made enforceable
by the imposition of fines, forfeitures and penalties. The town may
enter into contracts with the state or any political subdivision thereof
for services and the use of facilities. The town may acquire property
within or without its corporate limits for town purposes, in fee simple
or any lesser interest or estate, by purchase, lease, gift, devise
or condemnation within the town for public use, and may hold, manage
and control, and may sell, lease, and convey such property as its
interests may require. Except as prohibited by the constitution of
this state or by laws enacted by the general assembly in conformity
with powers reserved to the general assembly by the constitution of
this state or as restricted by this Charter, the town shall have and
may exercise all municipal powers, functions, rights, privileges and
immunities of every name and nature whatsoever. The enumeration of
particular powers by this Charter shall not be deemed to be exclusive,
and in addition to the powers enumerated herein or implied hereby,
or appropriate to the exercise of such powers, it is intended that
the town shall have and may exercise all powers which, under the constitution
of this state, it would be competent for this Charter specifically
to enumerate. All powers of the town shall be exercised in the manner
prescribed by this Charter and by state law, or if the manner is not
prescribed, then in such manner as may be prescribed by ordinance.
[1]
Editor's Note: For constitutional provision
granting home rule for cities and towns, see R. I. Const., Amend.
XIII.
