The Charter shall be the organic law of the Town of Ridgefield
in the administration of its local affairs. Any special acts and ordinances
or portions thereof inconsistent with the Charter shall have no further
force or effect after the effective date of this Charter. Other special
acts affecting the Town, and all other ordinances and resolutions
duly adopted and in force before the effective date of this Charter,
and not inconsistent with the provisions of this Charter, shall remain
in force.
Matters concerning the election of officers, the making and
registration of voters and the administration of local affairs not
provided by this Charter, or by lawful ordinance, shall be governed
by the Connecticut General Statutes and special acts of the State
of Connecticut applicable to the Town of Ridgefield.
The term "approval of the Town Meeting" as used in this Charter,
shall mean the majority vote (unless a greater percentage is required
in this Charter) of those qualified to vote, present and voting at
the meeting or voting in a referendum held in accordance with this
Charter.
The terms "board" or "boards," as used in this Charter, shall mean any boards, commissions, and committees, or authority of the Town that is enumerated in this Charter or that is established pursuant to Section
3-13, 4-16, or 5-16.
The terms "prescribed by law" and "provided by law," as used
in this Charter, shall mean prescribed or provided by the General
Statutes, by Charter and by ordinance.
The terms "Town agency," or “Town agencies,” as used in this Charter, shall mean collectively all boards, departments, and elected officials enumerated in Section
4-1.
The terms “department” or departments” as used in this Charter shall mean each separate operating unit or function of the Town for which the First Selectperson or the Board of Selectpersons is responsible; each operating unit or function reporting to or under the management of an elected official enumerated in Section
4-1; or such additional departments defined as such elsewhere in this Charter.
The term "elector" as used in this Charter shall mean any person
possessing the qualifications prescribed by the Constitution of the
State of Connecticut and duly admitted to, and entitled to exercise,
the privileges of an elector in the Town of Ridgefield.
The term "resident" as used in this Charter shall describe a
person who is registered to vote in the Town of Ridgefield and whose
principal residence is in the Town of Ridgefield. No person who has
filed with the registrar of voters an application for the retention
of electoral privileges shall be considered a resident for so long
as the application for retention of electoral privileges is in effect.