A.
The legislative power of the Town shall be vested in the Town Meeting.
B.
Any Town Meeting shall be warned and conducted in accordance with
the provisions of §§ 7-1 through 7-8 inclusive, of
the General Statutes; provided, however, that the provisions of this
Charter, where inconsistent with the General Statutes, shall control.
The Annual Town Meeting shall be the first Town Meeting held
in each calendar year. (Approved 11-3-1992)
In addition to the provisions for Town Meetings by petition,
the Board of Selectmen may call a Special Town Meeting whenever it
deems it necessary or appropriate.
All Town Meetings shall be called to order by the Town Clerk
or by a member of the Board of Selectmen. A moderator shall be elected
and all business shall be conducted in a manner now or hereafter provided
by the General Statutes, except as may otherwise be provided in this
Charter. The Town Clerk shall serve as Clerk of all Town Meetings,
but in the absence of the Town Clerk, an acting Clerk may be designated
by the meeting.
All actions at a Town Meeting shall be adopted by a majority
vote of the qualified voters present and voting at the meeting, unless
otherwise provided by this Charter.
A.
Adoption of the Annual Town Budget submitted by the Board of Finance
shall be by vote at the Annual Town Budget Meeting held on or before
the second Wednesday of May. An initial public hearing must be held
by the Board of Finance at least two weeks prior to the Town Meeting
to present the Annual Town Budget. The Board of Finance may modify
the Annual Town Budget presented at the public hearing prior to the
Town Meeting. Amendments to the Annual Town Budget, to the extent
allowed by law, may be passed by the Town Meeting, and the proposed
Annual Town Budget, and any amendments thereto, must be voted on at
the Annual Town Budget Meeting.
If an Annual Town Budget is defeated at the Town Budget Meeting
and no referendum is petitioned in accordance with § 1005B,
an Annual Town Budget must be presented by the Board of Finance to
a public hearing within seven days and to the voters at Town Meeting
within 14 days of rejection. (Approved 11-6-2001)
B.
Regardless of the vote at the Annual Town Budget Meeting a petition
may be presented to the Town Clerk within 10 days after the meeting
requesting a referendum on the Annual Town Budget that was either
approved or rejected by the annual Town Budget meeting. Said petition
must be signed by at least that number of voters equal to 10% of the
electors of the Town. A referendum must be scheduled within 21 days
of the receipt of the petition, by the Town Clerk. Said referendum
shall be scheduled by the Board of Selectmen in accordance with the
notice requirements for a Town Meeting as provided for in the Connecticut
General Statutes.
Once a petition has been accepted by the Town Clerk, all further
budget votes on the Annual Town Budget that is the subject of the
petition shall be by referendum, and no further petitions shall be
required. If an Annual Town Budget is defeated at referendum, an Annual
Town Budget must be presented by the Board of Finance at a public
hearing within 10 days of the rejection at referendum, and a new referendum
must be held within 10 days of the public hearing. The Board of Finance
may modify the Annual Town Budget presented at the public hearing
prior to the referendum. The dates for any further Annual Town Budget
referenda shall be set by the Board of Finance and notice shall be
given as specified above. (Approved 11-3-1992; Approved 11-6-2001)
A Town Meeting shall be required for any of the following actions:
A.
Adoption of the Annual Town Budget.
B.
Any resolution making an appropriation not included in the Annual
Town Budget.
C.
Any transfer of funds which will result in aggregate transfer during
any fiscal year in excess of 0.25% of the total current Annual Town
Budget to or from any one account. (Approved 11-3-1987, Sec. 3; Approved
11-3-1992)
D.
Any resolution authorizing the issuance of notes or other borrowing
not included in the Annual Town Budget, except as noted in § 805.
E.
Any resolution authorizing the issuance of bonds in any amount.
F.
Any sale or other conveyance of real estate or any interest therein
of the Town except property acquired by tax foreclosure, and any purchase
or other acquisition of real estate or interest therein, except for
purchase of an easement or right-of-way for $5,000 or less and except
for the acquisition of any drainage or utility easements or facilities
which a Town board or commission requires to be deeded to the Town
as a condition of the approval of plans for development of land. (Approved
11-6-2001)
G.
Real estate leases and any extensions or renewals thereof or lease
options to which the Town is a party for terms in excess of an aggregate
of five years. Real estate leases and any extensions or renewals thereof
or lease options for terms of five years or less shall be negotiated
and executed by the Board of Selectmen.
H.
The discontinuance or abandonment of Town roads and the acceptance
of established private roads as Town roads, except for the acceptance
of roads built in accordance with plans approved by the Planning and
Zoning Commission in connection with any new development of land.
I.
The Town Meeting shall have the sole power to enact and repeal ordinances
consistent with this Charter and the General Statutes.
J.
In addition to all matters requiring Town Meeting approval, the Board
of Selectmen may bring before a Town Meeting, including a Special
Town Meeting, for its consideration on any other matter the Board
of Selectmen considers of sufficient importance to warrant Town Meeting
consideration. (Approved 11-3-1992)
A.
Upon petition filed with the Town Clerk and signed by electors of
the Town of Suffield in a number not less than 2% of the registered
electors of the Town as determined by the most recent official list
of registered electors, petitioning for the warning and convening
of a Town Meeting, said petition to be in accordance with the provisions
of § 7-9 of the General Statutes and to contain the matter
or text of the proposed ordinance or resolution to be considered at
said Town Meeting, the Town Clerk shall within 10 days determine whether
or not the petition contains the required number of valid signatures,
and if it does, shall so certify to the Board of Selectmen within
10 days. Said petition may propose consideration of any matter proper
to come before a Town Meeting except an ordinance or resolution:
(1)
Appointing or removing officials,
(2)
Specifying the compensation or hours of work of officials and employees,
(3)
Adopting the Annual Town Budget,
(4)
Authorizing the levy of taxes, or
(5)
Fixing the tax rate.
Upon receipt of such certification from the Town Clerk, the
Board of Selectmen shall within 30 days thereafter cause to be convened
a Town Meeting, duly warned in accordance with the provisions of §§ 7-3
and 7-4 of the General Statutes, which meeting may be adjourned from
time to time as the interest of the Town requires.
At said Town Meeting the only matters that may be considered
shall be those matters set forth in said petition. Said Town Meeting
shall be conducted in accordance with the provisions of §§ 7-5
through 7-8, inclusive, of the General Statutes, except that a referendum
may only be called in accordance with the provisions of Charter § 1005B
or 1009. (Approved 11-6-2001)
B.
Any ordinance or resolution so proposed in such a petition shall
be examined by the Town Counsel prior to submission to the Town Meeting;
and prior to or at the Town Meeting said Town Counsel shall give his
opinion, orally or in writing, with respect to the form of the proposal
and its conformity to and relationship with existing constitutions,
statutes, special acts, ordinances and regulations.
No appropriations may be authorized by any Town Meeting unless
such appropriation has been recommended by the Board of Finance, or
such appropriation is requested in a petition signed by not less than
6% of the registered electors of the Town as determined by the most
recent official list of registered voters. Signatures on the petition
for the referendum must be signed and dated after the action has taken
place for which the referendum is sought and the required number of
signatures must be completed in 21 days of such action.
A.
The Board of Selectmen may present any issue to the Town for vote
by referendum provided, that those issues set forth in Charter §§ 1006A
through 1006I, inclusive, must first be submitted to and decided by
a Town Meeting before the Selectmen may call a referendum on such
issue or issues.
B.
A referendum from the decision of the Annual Town Budget Meeting
may only be called in accordance with the provisions of Charter § 1005B.
C.
Regardless of the vote at a Town Meeting, except for the Annual Town
Budget Meeting, a petition may be presented to the Town Clerk within
21 days after the Town Meeting requesting a referendum on the issue
or issues which were either approved or rejected by the Town Meeting.
The petition must be signed by at least that number of voters equal
to 6% of the electors of the Town. Signatures on the petition for
the referendum must be signed and dated after the action has taken
place for which the referendum is sought. The Board of Selectmen must
schedule the referendum for a date which is no more than twenty-one
days from the receipt of a valid petition by the Town Clerk. (Approved
11-6-2001)
Notwithstanding the provisions of §§ 1007 and
1009A of this Charter, the Board of Selectmen may present any issue
to the Town at an adjourned Town Meeting as defined by Connecticut
Statutes for a vote by ballot.
