Council shall, by ordinance or resolution, create, modify or abolish
Boards, Commissions, Authorities and other agencies and committees
and prescribe their organization and functions consistent with this
Charter and general law.
Council shall appoint citizens to such Boards, Commissions, Authorities,
agencies or committees to serve for terms not to exceed five (5) years
after appropriate announcement of openings at a public meeting. No
citizen shall serve more than two (2) consecutive terms and the balance
of one (1) unexpired term on the same Board, Commission, Authority,
agency or committee. However, no citizen appointed or serving on such
Boards, Commissions, Authorities, agencies or committees shall hold
any other appointive or elective township office, except on a Government
Study Commission created under Pennsylvania Act 62 of 1972.
A Chairman shall be elected by each Board, Commission, Authority,
agency and committee from among its members who shall preside at all
meetings and report at least monthly to Council in the manner which
it directs. Other appropriate offices may be created and filled from
the membership of the body.
Initiative. To propose ordinances to Council which are consistent
with this Charter and general law and to adopt or reject the same
at a Township election if Council fails to adopt an ordinance so proposed
without any change in substance; and
Referendum. To require reconsideration by Council of any adopted
ordinance prior to its effective date and; if Council fails to repeal
an ordinance so reconsidered, to approve or reject it at a Township
election.
Bear the signatures and addresses in ink of registered electors comprising
at least twenty-five (25) per cent of the registered electors of each
district of the Township;
Be filed with the Township Manager as one instrument, each page of
which shall contain an affidavit executed by the circulator thereof
stating that all signatures thereon are genuine and were affixed in
his presence only after the signer had an opportunity to read the
full text prior to signing.
The Township Manager shall, within twenty (20) days after a petition
is filed, examine the petition for compliance with the provisions
of this Charter, submit the petition to the Township Attorney for
his written opinion as to legality and certify the results of his
examination by registered mail to the Committee of the Petitioners
and Council Chairman.
If the Manager certifies the petition is invalid he shall set forth
in his certificate the particulars in which it is defective which
may be corrected by amendment within ten (10) days after notification
of insufficiency has been received.
If within sixty (60) days of the submission of a certified petition
by the Manager to Council Chairman, Council shall fail to pass an
ordinance requested by initiative petition in substantially the form
requested or to repeal an ordinance as required by referendum petition,
the Manager shall within ten (10) days thereafter, or the Committee
of the Petitioners, if the Manager fails to act, file the petition
with the Board of Elections of Montgomery County, Pennsylvania, the
proposed or referred ordinance to be voted upon by the Township electors
at the next regular Township election. An initiative or referendum
election shall be held in all respects in accordance with the provisions
of the Pennsylvania Election Code relating to the conduct of special
elections.
If a majority of the qualified electors voting on the proposed ordinance
vote in favor thereof, such ordinance shall thereupon become a valid
and binding ordinance of the Township upon certification of the election
results. If the provisions of two (2) or more measures approved or
adopted at the same election conflict, then the measure receiving
the greatest affirmative vote shall control. If a majority of the
qualified electors voting on a referred ordinance vote against it,
the ordinance shall be considered repealed upon certification of the
election results. Council may not consider reversing the results of
an initiative or referendum vote for at least two (2) years following
certification of such vote.
Initiative and Referendum powers shall not extend to the budget or
capital programs in their entirety nor to any emergency ordinance
or ordinance relating to the levy of taxes. Such exception, however,
shall not apply to specific projects of the capital program.