This Charter shall take effect on the first Monday in January, 2011, if the Board of Canvassers shall have certified that it was approved by the electors of the Town voting thereon, or upon the date of such certification if the same shall be made later than the first Monday in January, 2011. It shall therefore replace and extend the tradition of previous charters of the Town of New Shoreham, namely the original charter of 1672, as well as Home Rule Charters established under the provisions of Article XIII of the Constitution of 1986 of the State of Rhode Island and Providence Plantations, to wit, charters that took effect in 1989 and 2001.
This Charter shall be placed before the electors of the Town of New Shoreham at the general election to be held on the first Tuesday in November, 2010 for their approval or rejection. At said election, all town offices which had been filled by vote of the electors of the Town heretofore, shall be filled in the same manner as previously.
All elected officials of the Town who are in office at the time of the taking effect of this Charter shall continue to hold their offices until their respective terms have expired and their successors have been elected and qualified.
The Town Council shall have authority to make any changes or transfers in appropriations in the budget for the fiscal year during which this charter takes effect that may be required for the operation of the town government under the provisions of this Charter.
All special acts of the General Assembly applicable to the Town of New Shoreham as of the effective date of this Charter shall continue in effect except insofar as they are inconsistent with the provisions of this Charter or any ordinance of the Town enacted pursuant to powers conferred by this Charter. All ordinances, resolutions, rules and regulations of the Town in force as of the effective date of this Charter, and not inconsistent therewith, shall continue in force until amended or repealed.
All taxes levied or assessed by the Town prior to the effective date of this Charter, which have not been collected by the Town, shall be collected with any interest and penalties thereon, by the town government hereby established, in accordance with law. All licenses and permits issued by the Town, or any agency thereof, prior to the effective date of this Charter, shall continue in full force and effect until the termination date thereof, unless suspended or revoked for cause. All contracts, leases, franchises and other obligations, entered into by the Town, or for its benefit, prior to the effective date of this Charter, shall continue in full force and effect.
No actions or proceedings, civil or criminal, in law or in equity, pending at the time when this Charter shall take effect, brought by or against the Town, or any office, department or agency, or officer thereof, shall be affected or abated by the adoption of this Charter or by anything in this Charter contained.
All commissions, boards, departments, or offices, whether elective or appointive, shall continue in the performance of their powers, duties and functions until successors have been elected or appointed as provided by this Charter to perform their respective powers, duties and functions, or until abolished pursuant to the provisions of this Charter and their powers, duties and functions reassigned to new or existing commissions, boards, departments or officers, or are terminated.
All persons employed in the service of the Town on the effective date of this Charter shall continue in such employment until promoted, demoted or removed in accordance with the provisions of this Charter, or ordinances enacted pursuant thereto.
All records, property and equipment of any office, department or agency, the powers and duties of which are assigned by or in accordance with this Charter to another office, department or agency shall be transferred and delivered to the office, department or agency to which such powers and duties are so assigned. In the event of disagreement over the transfer of same, the Town Manager shall make the final decision.