An Annual Town Meeting for the consideration of the budget and
the transaction of other Town business shall be held on a date set
by ordinance. Special Town Meetings shall be called by the Board of
Selectmen when required under the terms of this Charter and in the
manner provided by the General Statutes, as amended. The Board of
Selectmen shall convene a Special Town Meeting on petitions of 50
qualified voters within 21 days after receipt of such petition by
the Town Clerk. Any Town Meeting may be adjourned as the interests
of the Town may require.
By a petition signed by 200 or more electors of the Town, any
item(s) on the call of a Town Meeting shall be submitted to a referendum
not less than seven or more than 14 days thereafter on a date to be
set by the Town Meeting or, if the Town Meeting does not set a date,
by the Board of Selectmen. Such petition shall be submitted to the
Town Clerk not less than 24 hours prior to the Town Meeting. Such
referendum shall be conducted under the provisions of the Connecticut
General Statutes, Section 7-7.
All Town meetings shall be called to order by the Mayor or his
designated representative. A Moderator shall be elected and all business
conducted in the manner provided by Chapter 90 of the General Statutes,
as amended, except as otherwise provided in the Charter. The Town
Clerk shall serve as Clerk of all Town meetings, but in the Clerk's
absence, an acting Clerk may be designated by the meeting.
A.
Ordinances recommended for adoption by the Board of Selectmen. If
the legislative body amends a recommended ordinance, such action shall
not become effective until it has been reviewed by the Municipal Attorney
and determined to be legal. If any changes are legally required the
Municipal Attorney shall prepare and submit such recommended changes,
which shall not change the intent of the amended ordinance, to the
Board of Selectmen who shall then resubmit the ordinance, as amended,
to the Town Meeting.
B.
The annual budget or any resolution making an appropriation of more
than $10,000, any sale of real estate or interest therein of the Town,
and any purchase of real estate or interest therein. Such resolutions
shall become effective only after they have been approved by the Board
of Finance and adopted at a Town Meeting by a majority vote of the
qualified voters present and voting at such meetings. The Town Meeting
shall not act upon any proposal for the sale or purchase of such real
estate or any interest therein, or the issuance of bonds or other
borrowing except upon the recommendation of the Board of Finance,
or act upon any appropriation which has not been acted upon by the
Board of Finance unless the same shall have been before the Board
of Finance for 60 days without action.
C.
Except for the annual budget, the Town Meeting may increase the amount
of any appropriation above the amount recommended by the Board of
Finance or make an appropriation not recommended by the Board of Finance,
provided either such action shall require the affirmative vote of
a two-thirds majority of the qualified voters voting thereon, which
majority shall consist of at least 150 qualified voters. No Town Meeting
shall increase the amount of any bond issue above the amount recommended
by the Board of Finance.
D.
Approval by the Town Meeting shall be required to make effective
any contract or agreement valued more than $50,000 per annum of the
Board of Selectmen for services or use of facilities by or with other
governments as provided in this Charter.
E.
The Board of Selectmen may require any proposal it may deem of sufficient
importance to be submitted to those entitled to vote by law at an
Annual or Special Town Meeting called for such purpose, and such proposal
shall become effective only after it has been approved by a majority
of the qualified voters voting at such meeting.
F.
After the same has been approved by the Board of Selectmen, any appropriation
of $250,000 or more, with the exception of the annual budget, and
any resolution authorizing the issuance of bonds or notes of $250,000
or more shall be placed on the call of a Town Meeting and after completion
of other business; and after reasonable discussion on such appropriation
or resolution the Moderator of such meeting shall adjourn the meeting
to reconvene not less than seven or more than 14 days thereafter as
provided in the General Statutes, as amended, and such appropriation
or resolution shall become effective only after it has been submitted
to the persons qualified to vote in such meeting for a "yes" or "no"
vote on the voting machines. At the closing of the polls, the Moderator
shall cause the vote to be counted, and any such appropriation or
resolution mentioned in the immediately preceding sentence shall,
if approved by a majority of those voting thereon, be deemed to be
a vote of the Town Meeting.
G.
Except for the annual budget, any other item(s) on the call of any
Town Meeting may, if the Board of Selectmen 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 be deemed
to be a vote of the Town Meeting.
A.
Subject to the provisions of this Chapter, no fewer than 50 qualified
voters of the Town, as determined from the latest official lists of
the Registrars of Voters and the latest official Grand List, may at
any time petition over their personal signatures for the enactment
of any proposed lawful ordinance or by filing such petition, including
the complete text of such ordinance, with the Town Clerk. The Board
of Selectmen shall call a Special Town Meeting, to be held within
30 days from the date of such filing. The call for such meeting shall
state the proposed ordinance in full and shall provide a "yes" or
"no" vote as to its enactment. If there is a quorum at such meeting
of at least 50 qualified voters, and if a majority of the qualified
voters, voting at such meeting, shall vote "yes," then such ordinance
shall take effect on the 10th day after publication.
B.
Any proposed ordinance shall be examined by the Municipal Attorney
before being submitted to the Town Meeting. The Municipal Attorney
is authorized to correct the form of such ordinance to avoid repetitions,
illegalities, and unconstitutional provisions, and to assure accuracy
in its text and references and clearness and preciseness in its phraseology,
but not materially changing its meaning and effect.
The electors of the Town shall have the power to approve or
reject at a referendum any ordinance adopted by the Town Meeting,
except an emergency ordinance adopted in accordance with the provisions
of Section 6, Chapter VII of this Charter. Ordinances submitted to
the Town Meeting by initiative petition as provided in Section 4 of
this chapter and adopted by the Town Meeting shall be subject to a
referendum in the same manner as other ordinances. Within 20 days
after the publication of any ordinance as provided in this Charter,
which ordinance may be subject to referendum, a petition requesting
that such ordinance be either repealed or submitted to a vote of the
electors may be filed by any elector of the Town with the Town Clerk.
Any such petition shall conform to the requirements of the General
Statutes, as amended, except as provided herein. Said petition shall
contain the full text of the ordinance to be repealed or submitted
to referendum and shall be signed in ink or indelible pencil by qualified
electors of the Town equal in number to at least 200 electors registered
at the last regular municipal election. Said petition shall be accompanied
by affidavits signed and sworn to be each circulator as provided in
the General Statutes, as amended. The Town Clerk shall, within five
days after receipt of the last page of said petition, determine the
petition and the affidavits to be sufficient in the manner prescribed
in this Charter and certify said petition to the Mayor. Upon filing
of such petition with the Town Clerk, the effective date of such ordinance
shall be postponed if necessary to the certification by said Clerk
that the petition is not sufficient or to the certification of the
results of such referendum. The question of repeal shall be submitted
to the electors at a referendum called by the Board of Selectmen and
held within 30 days after the petition for referendum has been certified
to the Mayor. A majority vote of the electors to repeal such ordinance
shall not become effective unless a total of at least 15% of the electors
entitled to vote on the question shall have voted.
