The inhabitants of the Town of Cumberland, in the State of Rhode
Island and Providence Plantations, within the corporate limits as
now established in the manner provided by State law, shall continue
to be a municipal body politic and corporate in perpetuity, under
the name of "Town of Cumberland," and as such shall continue to have,
exercise and enjoy all the rights, immunities, powers, privileges
and franchises, and shall be subject to all the duties and obligations,
now incumbent upon or appertaining to said Town as a municipal corporation,
or by virtue of the laws of this State so far as the same shall not
be altered by this Charter or amendments hereof. The enumeration of
particular powers by this Charter shall not be deemed to be exclusive:
and in addition to the powers enumerated therein or implied thereby,
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.
Pursuant to the provisions of this Charter 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 a Mayor elected by the voters of the Town, who
shall be responsible for the execution of the laws and the administration
of the Town government in accordance with the provisions of this Charter,
the constitution of the State of Rhode Island, and the laws enacted
by the General Assembly of Rhode Island.
The Town shall have power to join with any other municipal corporation,
special district, or with any other unit or agency of government,
or with any number or combination thereof, by contract or otherwise,
in the ownership, operation, or performance, jointly or by one or
more on behalf of all, of any property, faculity [facility], or service
which each would have the power to own, operate, or perform separately.