The inhabitants of the Town of Coventry in the State of Rhode
Island, within the corporate limits as now established or as hereafter
established, in the manner provided by law, shall continue to be a
municipal body politic and corporate under the name of Town of Coventry.
The form of town government provided by this Charter shall be
the Council-Manager form of government. Pursuant to its provisions
and subject only to the limitations imposed by the state constitution
and by this Charter, all powers of the town shall be vested in an
elected Town Council, which shall enact local legislation, and in
an appointed Town Manager, who shall be responsible for the execution
of the laws and the administration of the town government.
The town shall have all the powers granted to towns by the home
rule amendment and other provisions of the constitution, the general
laws of this state, and special acts applicable to the town, together
with all such additional powers as hereafter may be granted to the
towns by the laws of the state, together with all powers implied in,
or incident to, the powers expressly granted.
The town shall have power to sue and be sued, to enact ordinances
and pass resolutions, and to make rules and regulations necessary
and proper for carrying into execution its powers; and such ordinances
may be made enforceable by the imposition of fines, forfeitures and
penalties, except as prohibited by the constitution of this state
or by laws enacted by the general assembly in conformity with powers
reserved to the general assembly.
Except as prohibited by the constitution of this state or as
restricted by this Charter, the town shall have and may exercise all
municipal powers, functions, rights, privileges, and immunities of
every name and nature whatsoever. The enumeration of particular powers
by this Charter shall not be deemed to be exclusive, and, in addition
to the powers enumerated herein, or implied, 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.
All powers of the town shall be exercised in the manner prescribed
by this Charter and by state law or, if the manner is not prescribed,
then in such manner as may be prescribed by rule, resolution, or ordinance.
The town may acquire property within or without its corporate
limits for town purposes, in fee or any lesser interest or estate,
by purchase, lease, gift, devise, and by condemnation within the town,
for public use; the town may hold, manage and control, and may sell,
lease, and convey such property as its interests may require.
The town may continue to hold and administer, in accordance
with the intention of the donor, all funds given or bequeathed to
the town, including, but not being limited to, the H. N. Waterman
Fund and the Isaac Fiske Fund. The town may accept and administer
any gift, bequest or devise which may come to the town in the future;
and may continue to accept and administer funds which have been, or
may in the future be, accepted by the town for the perpetual care
of cemetery lots.
The town may exercise any of its powers or perform any of its
functions and may participate in the financing thereof, jointly or
in cooperation, by contract or otherwise, with any one or more states,
civil divisions, or agencies thereof, or with the United States or
any agency thereof.
The town may enter into contracts with one or more states or
civil divisions, or agencies thereof, or the United States or any
agency thereof.
The powers of the town under this Charter shall be construed
liberally in favor of the town; the specific mention of particular
powers in the Charter shall not be construed as limiting in any way
the general powers stated in this article.