There shall be a town council consisting of twelve (12) members, hereinafter referred to as the town council, the members of which shall serve without compensation except for the reimbursement of actual expenses incurred in the performance of official duties. No member of the town council shall hold any other elective or appointive office under the government of the Town of Vernon as set forth in this Charter.
The mayor shall attend and be the presiding officer of meetings of the town council. The mayor shall have full right of participation in its discussions but shall have no vote except in the case of a tie. Each newly elected town council at its first meeting, or as soon thereafter as practicable, shall elect from its own number a mayor pro tempore, who in the absence or disability of the mayor shall act as mayor, but this office shall not deprive such mayor pro tempore of a vote on any question.
At the first meeting of the town council following the town election, the town council shall fix the time and place of its regular meetings and shall provide a method for the calling of special meetings. It shall determine its own rules of procedure. All meetings of the town council for the transaction of business shall be open to the public and the votes shall be recorded as prescribed by section 1-21 of the Connecticut General Statutes, Revision of 1958, as amended from time to time. The town council, except as provided elsewhere in this Charter, shall act by a majority vote of its members who are present and voting. Seven (7) members thereof shall constitute a quorum. Passage of all ordinances shall require approval of no fewer than seven (7) members.
All ordinances and resolutions shall be confined to one (1) subject, which subject shall be clearly stated in the title. The town council shall keep for public inspection a journal which shall be the official record of its proceedings. The record so kept shall be authenticated for each meeting by the signatures of the presiding officer thereof, or the clerk, or of both.
The legislative power of the town shall be vested exclusively in the town council, except as otherwise provided in this Charter. Subject to the power of initiative and the power of referendum reserved to the electors by this Charter, the said town council shall have the power to enact, amend or repeal ordinances not inconsistent with this Charter, the Constitution of the State of Connecticut and the Connecticut General Statutes, Revision of 1958, as amended. Each ordinance adopted by the town council shall provide that the ordinance will be effective for a period of not more than ten (10) years from the date of adoption. If the town council does not act to renew the ordinance, the ordinance is repealed. The town council may contract for services and use of facilities of the United States or any federal agency, the State of Connecticut and any political subdivision thereof, or may, by agreement, join with any such political subdivisions to provide services and facilities. The town council is authorized, in adopting ordinances, to incorporate any nationally recognized code, rules and regulations that have been printed in book form, or any code officially adopted by any administrative agency of the state, or any portion thereof, by reference thereto in such ordinance; provided, upon adoption of any such ordinance wherein such code, rules and regulations or portions thereof have been incorporated by reference, there shall be maintained three (3) copies of such code, rules and regulations in the office of the town clerk for examination by the public. Said town council, except as hereinafter provided, may fix the charges, if any, to be made for services by the town or for the execution of powers vested in the town as provided by Charter. Any statutory functions and/or powers of the selectmen not specifically delegated to other bodies shall be delegated to the town council.
At least one (1) public hearing shall be held by the town council before any ordinance shall be passed. Public notice of said hearing shall be given at least five (5) days in advance by publication in a newspaper having a circulation in the Town of Vernon and by posting a notice in a public place. Such hearing and notice shall not be necessary for any ordinance relating to the town council, its procedures, or its appointment or designation of officers. 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. Within ten (10) days after passage, notice of the passage of an ordinance, described by title or subject matter together with such change in the proposed ordinance, shall be published in a newspaper having a circulation in the Town of Vernon. Every ordinance, unless it shall specify a later date, shall become effective on the 15th day after such publication following its final passage, except as otherwise provided in this Charter, provided an ordinance stated to be a public emergency measure and stating the facts constituting such public emergency shall become effective immediately after such posting and no public hearing or notice of public hearing shall be required for any public emergency measure.
The town council shall have the power to investigate any and all departments, offices, agencies, boards, commissions and authorities of the town and for such purposes shall have the power to issue subpoenas. At the request of the town council, any judge may issue a "capias" for the appearance of witnesses and the production of books and papers. Any party to the investigation, on request of any councilmember, may have witnesses subpoenaed on behalf of such party.
Any person aggrieved by a decision of the town council acting under the provisions of section 7 above shall have the right of appeal from such decision as provided by law.