There shall be a Town Council consisting of nine (9) members, hereinafter referred to as the Council. No member of the Council shall hold any other office, or position, on any board or commission including but not limited to any Charter Revision Commission under the government of the Town of Wolcott, except as hereinafter provided.
(a) 
The Council shall meet at 8:00 P.M. on the second Wednesday following its election to organize and to elect a Chairman and a Vice-Chairman. This will be the first order of business. The Mayor will preside, without vote, over the Council until this order of business is completed. The Chairman of the Council shall have a regular vote only. The Chairman shall preside over all meetings of the Council and perform such other duties consistent with his or her office as may be imposed by the Council. Unless otherwise specified herein, during his or her absence or disability, his or her duties shall be performed by the member of the Council chosen by the Council as Vice-Chairman. The Chairman of the Council is an ex-officio member, without vote, of all Legislative Committees. The Town Council shall make no contracts, verbal or written, from the date of the election, until the successor council has been sworn in.
(b) 
The Town Committee of each political party shall have submitted in writing, within thirty (30) days after the first meeting of the new Council, its designees for majority leader and minority leader respectively. The Council shall then accept and certify said designees.
The Council shall appoint a clerk, who shall keep a record of all proceedings of the Council in accordance with Connecticut General Statutes.
The Council shall, at its first meeting or as soon thereafter as possible, establish by resolution a place and time for holding its regular meetings, and shall meet at least once a month. Said Council shall provide a method for the calling of special meetings and no matter shall be considered at such special meetings which was not included in the call.
The Council shall operate under Roberts Rules of Order Newly Revised unless or until such time that said Council determines its own rules and procedures except as herein provided. A bare majority shall constitute a quorum provided no ordinance, resolution or vote, except a vote to accept minutes of the previous meetings, to adjourn, or to fix the time and place of the next meeting, shall be adopted by less than five (5) affirmative votes. All ordinances or resolutions shall be confined to one subject which shall be clearly stated in the title.
The Council shall keep for public inspection, minutes in accordance with Connecticut General Statutes, which shall be the official record of its proceedings. The record, so kept, shall be authenticated for each meeting by the signature of the presiding officer upon its acceptance by the Council.
(a) 
The Council shall have the powers and duties which, prior to the effective date of this Charter, were conferred by law upon existing Boards, Officers and Commissions of said Town except as otherwise specifically provided in the Charter, the Connecticut General Statutes or in The Constitution of the State.
(b) 
The legislative power of the Town shall be vested exclusively in the Council except as otherwise specifically provided in this Charter.
(c) 
The Council shall have the power to make, alter or repeal ordinances, not inconsistent with this Charter or the General Statutes of the State, creating or abolishing Boards, Commissions, Departments and Offices and for the preservation of the good order, peace, health and safety of the Town and its inhabitants provided no such ordinance shall be enacted without a public hearing held thereon except as hereinafter provided.
(d) 
The Council may contract for services and the use of facilities of the State or any political subdivision thereof. It may, by agreement, join with any such political subdivision to provide services and facilities.
(e) 
The Council is authorized in adopting ordinances to incorporate any recognized code, rules or regulations that have been printed in book form, or any code officially adopted by any administrative agency of the State, by reference thereto in such ordinance. Upon the adoption of any ordinance wherein any such code, rules or regulations or portions thereof have been incorporated by reference, there shall be maintained two (2) copies of the same, in the Office of the Town Clerk, for examination by the public.
(f) 
Said Council shall determine the compensation including salary and medical insurance cost share of the Mayor, the Registrars of Voters, Town Clerk, Tax Collector, Treasurer, Board of Assessment Appeals, succeeding Council and the officers and employees appointed by the Council. Once the Council has established the compensation of an elected official serving a two (2) year term, said compensation shall neither be increased nor decreased until after the expiration of that term. Increment pay increases shall be instituted as follows: Increment #1 shall begin with the first pay period after the November election; increment #2 shall begin with the first pay period in November of the following year. The Council may adjust the compensation of any official serving a four (4) year term every two (2) years under the same restrictions as herein provided. Town Clerk and the Registrars of Voters incremental pay shall begin with the first pay period of their term and continue under the same restrictions as herein provided. Council shall determine the charges, if any to be made for services by the Town or for the execution of powers vested in the Town as provided in Chapter I of this Charter, for the government of the Town and its business.
(g) 
The Council shall be the budget making authority of the Town and shall have control of the finances of the Town and may, at its discretion, appoint a Finance Committee of which at least one member shall be a member of the Council. The duties of this Committee shall be as directed by the Council.
(h) 
The Council shall authorize the Mayor to execute for and on behalf of the Town, bonds, notes and other evidence of indebtedness and also, to sign contracts and agreements other than purchase and employment contracts under the jurisdiction of the Mayor or the Board of Education. Any purchase contract or order involving an expenditure which exceeds $150,000.00 within the then current fiscal year for any item or service or multiple items or services of like kind, or which requires expenditures under the jurisdiction of the Mayor to be made in subsequent fiscal years, shall require Town Council approval. Collective Bargaining Agreements between the Town and duly recognized and constituted unions, other than those agreements under the jurisdiction of the Board of Education, shall require Council approval. On recommendation of the Mayor, the Council shall have authority to approve purchase of real property, or the sale of Town owned real property, up to $150,000.00. Any amount in excess of $150,000.00 to $200,000.00 must be brought to a Town Meeting. Dollar amounts in this sub section shall be increased in five (5) years by ten (10)%. Any amount in excess of this must be brought to a Town Referendum. However, it shall not be permissible under this provision for the Council to approve the purchase or sale of any contiguous pieces of real property within a two (2) year period, unless the purchase or sale of all real properties involved occurs simultaneously, in which case, the aggregate amount of all real properties involved shall be subject to the aforementioned dollar limitations.
(i) 
The Council shall have the power to remove for cause, after a hearing, any appointee made by the Council to any Board, Commission or Agency authorized under this Charter. On any Board, Commission or Agency in which the Council has appointing authority, per this Charter, the Council shall fill any subsequent vacancy.
(j) 
INVESTIGATION. The Council shall have the power of fiscal investigation in any and all departments, offices and agencies of the Town and for such purposes may in addition to the powers granted in Section 306(j) of this Charter, order special audits, refer matters to the Ethics Commission, or request assistance from local, state, and federal law enforcement agencies, the State's Attorney's Office, or any other agency having jurisdiction over the matter or matters under investigation.
(k) 
RELATIONS TO ADMINISTRATIVE SERVICE. Neither the Council nor any of its members shall direct or request the appointment to or removal of any person from any office or employment which the Mayor or any of his appointees are empowered to fill. The Mayor may seek advice from the Council regarding appointments. The Council may prefer charges in writing against any officer or employee appointed by the Mayor. The Council and its members shall deal with administrative service solely through the Mayor. Neither the Council nor any member thereof shall give any order to any of the subordinates of the Mayor either publicly or privately. A properly constituted meeting of the Council, which the Mayor has been invited to attend, may call before it any employee or officer for the purpose of investigation.
(l) 
FISCAL YEAR. The Council shall have power to adjust the fiscal year of the Town to coincide with the tax year or to adjust either or both to the end that they may coincide.
(m) 
The Council shall conduct a review of the Charter every five years from its effective date to determine whether the appointment of a Charter Revision Commission would be beneficial. This provision shall not prevent the Council from reviewing the Charter for such purpose at any other time if the Council so elects. Notwithstanding the foregoing, no appointment of a Charter Revision Commission, or amendment of the Charter shall be made except in accordance with Section 906 of this Charter.
(n) 
The Council shall nominate one or more of its members to represent the Town on the board of any organization or corporation, to which the Town has contributed more than two thousand five hundred dollars ($2,500.00.) Such liaison(s) so appointed shall serve only as a channel or channels of communication back to the Council and shall have no voting power on said boards.
(o) 
The Council shall annually prepare and have published a Town report in accordance with Section 7-406 of the Connecticut General Statutes as the same may be amended from time to time.
(a) 
At least one public hearing, notice of which shall be given at least five days in advance by publication in summary in a newspaper having a circulation in said Town and by posting a notice in a public place and a full publication on the towns website, shall be held by the Council before any ordinance, including ordinances originating under Section 308 of this Charter shall be passed except an ordinance relating to the appointment or designation of officers, or to the Council or its procedure.
(b) 
Every proposed ordinance except those relating to the election, appointment or designation of officers of the Council, as may be provided herein, or an ordinance relating to the Council or its procedures, shall, before it becomes effective, be certified by the Mayor except as otherwise provided in sub-part (c) of this section.
(c) 
All such ordinances, except as otherwise provided, prior to certification must pass by an affirmative vote of a majority of the entire Council. The Mayor shall within ten (10) days after adoption by the Council, sign the proposed ordinance if he or she approves it, whereupon it shall be effective, unless a later date is provided in such ordinance, on the twenty-first (21st) day following its publication. If the Mayor disapproves a proposed ordinance, he or she shall within ten (10) days return it to the Chairman of the Council with a statement of the reason for his or her disapproval, which statement shall be transmitted to the Council at its next meeting. If the Council shall pass the proposed ordinance by an affirmative vote of at least two-thirds (2/3) of the entire Council at such next meeting, but not later than twenty-one (21) days after such ordinance has been returned with the Mayor's disapproval, it shall become effective twenty-one days after publication unless a later date is provided in said ordinance. Immediately following such meeting, the Council will give the Mayor written notification of its overriding action. If the Mayor does not approve or disapprove the proposed ordinance within the time required, it shall become effective without his or her approval twenty-one (21) days after publication unless a later date is provided in said ordinance.
(d) 
Every ordinance, after passage, shall be given a serial number and be recorded by the Town Clerk in a book to be kept for that purpose which shall be properly indexed. The Council shall also submit a copy of each ordinance after passage to the Town Clerk and the various Boards and Departments involved. Within ten days after final passage, all ordinances shall be given a summary in a newspaper having circulation within the Town referring to the full publication posted on the town website. Every ordinance, unless it shall specify a later date, shall become effective on the twenty-first day after such publication following its final passage, provided an ordinance stated to be a public emergency measure and stating the facts constituting such public emergency shall become effective immediately after such publication and no public hearing or notice of public hearing shall be required for any public emergency measure.
The electors shall have the power to propose to the Council any ordinance or resolution appointing or removing officials, appropriating money, authorizing the levy of taxes or fixing the tax rate. Such a proposal shall be made by filing with the Town Clerk a petition making such proposal signed in ink or indelible pencil by not less than fifty qualified electors of the Town on the last completed voting list. The Town Clerk shall notify the Chairman of the Council within 7 days upon receipt of the petition. If the Council shall fail or refuse to adopt the proposed ordinance within 32 days after the Council meeting following the filing of the petition with the Town Clerk, a second petition may be filed with the town Clerk for a referendum on such proposed ordinance or other measure. Such second petition shall be signed in ink or indelible pencil by not less than 5% of the qualified electors of the Town on the last completed voting list and shall be filed within 52 days after the filing of the original petition. Such proposed ordinance or other measure shall be submitted to a referendum not less than 10 nor more than 20 days after the filing of such second petition, and if it shall receive a majority vote at such referendum, it shall be enacted, provided not less than 25% of the qualified electors of the Town on the last completed voting list shall have voted at such referendum. Any referendum held under this section shall be conducted in the manner provided in the General Statutes and the Town Clerk shall proceed in the manner set forth therein. No ordinance or other measure which shall have been adopted in accordance with the provisions of the section shall be repealed or amended by the Council except by petition and vote of the electors as provided herein.
(a) 
The electors shall have the power to approve or reject at a referendum any ordinance or other measure passed by the Council, except an ordinance or resolution appointing or removing officials, authorizing the levy of taxes or fixing the tax rate. The electors shall have the power to approve or reject at a referendum the town budget as presented by the Town Council. Ordinances or other measures submitted to the Council as provided in Section 308 and passed by the Council without change shall be subject to a referendum in the same manner as other ordinances or measures. Within twenty (20) days after the publication of an ordinance or other measure which is subject to referendum, a petition may be submitted to the Town Clerk. Such petition shall be addressed to the Council and shall be signed in ink or indelible pencil by qualified electors of the Town equal in number to at least 10% of the electors on the voting list. The Town Clerk shall proceed as prescribed by General Statutes as to referenda. If the number of qualified signatures, as certified by the Town Clerk, equals or exceeds 10% of the electors on the voting list and the Council fails or refuses to repeal such ordinance or other measure at its meeting next following the delivery of the petition to the Chairman of the Council, the question of repeal shall be submitted to a vote of the electors at a referendum which must be called by the Council to be held not less than twenty (20) days nor more than thirty (30) days after said meeting of the Council. Upon submission of the petition to the Town Clerk as above provided, the ordinance or other measure shall remain without effect until either:
(1) 
The first meeting of the Council following delivery of the petition by the Town Clerk to the Chairman of the Council with a certification showing that the number of signatures is insufficient which fact shall be recorded upon the minutes of the Council.
(2) 
The question of repeal has been decided in the negative by a vote of the electors at the referendum at which not less than 25% of the electors on the voting list shall have voted.
(3) 
Less than 25% of the electors on the voting list shall have voted.
(b) 
The Power of Referendum may also be exercised by the affirmative vote of at least seven members of the Council present and voting.
The form of petition for initiative or referendum shall be as follows:
WARNING: ALL SIGNATURES SHALL BE IN INK OR INDELIBLE PENCIL.
We, the undersigned electors of the Town of Wolcott, hereby present this petition under the provisions of Sections 308 or 309 of the Town Charter, (here insert the word "initiating" or the words "requesting the repeal of") the following ordinance or other measure (here insert the text of the ordinance or other measure) and we certify that we are electors of the Town of Wolcott residing at the addresses set opposite our names, and that we have signed this petition on the dates opposite our names and not more than once. (Here follow the signatures, dates and addresses.)
Signature
Date
Number Street
Each page of such petition shall contain a statement, signed under penalties of false statement as defined in Section 53a-157b of the Connecticut General Statutes, by the person who circulates the same, setting forth such circulator's name and address, and shall be in the form as follows: "I certify that I am an elector in the Town of Wolcott and each person whose name appears on this page signed the same in person in my presence and such person is known to me or has satisfactorily identified himself/herself to me." Any page of a petition which does not contain such a statement by the circulator shall be invalid.