[Amended 11-7-1978]
A. 
Initiative. The qualified electors of the Town have the power to propose ordinances to the Town Council and, if the Town Council fails to adopt an ordinance so proposed without any change in substance, to adopt or reject it at a Town election. These initiatives may not pertain to the budget or capital program or any ordinance relating to the appropriation of money, levy of taxes or salaries of Town officers or employees.
B. 
Referendum. The qualified electors of the Town have the power to require reconsideration by the Town Council of any adopted ordinance and, if the Town Council fails to repeal an ordinance so reconsidered, to approve or reject it at a Town election. Such power shall not extend to the budget or capital program or any emergency ordinance or ordinance relating to appropriation of money or levy of taxes.
[Amended 11-7-1978]
Any five qualified electors of the Town may commence initiative or referendum proceedings by filing with the Town Clerk an affidavit stating they will constitute the petitioners' committee and be responsible for circulating the petition and filing it in proper form, stating their names and addresses and specifying the address to which all notices to the committee are to be sent, and setting out in full the proposed initiative ordinance or citing the ordinance sought to be reconsidered. Promptly after the affidavit of the petitioners' committee is filed, the Town Clerk shall issue the appropriate petition blanks to the petitioners' committee.
[Amended 11-7-1978; 11-7-2000]
A. 
Number of signatures. Initiative petitions for purposes of proposing ordinances to the Town Council must be signed by electors equal in number to 5% of the total number of electors. If a proposed ordinance so initiated is not adopted by the Town Council without change of substance, it shall then be submitted to the registered electors of the Town at a Town election as hereinafter provided, but only if petitions proposing the ordinance have been signed (either before or after presentation to the Town Council) by electors equal in number to 10% of the total number of electors. Referendum petitions must be signed by electors equal in number to 5% of the total number of electors. If an ordinance so required to be reconsidered by the Town Council is not repealed by the Town Council, the proposal to repeal the same shall then be submitted to the registered electors of the Town at a Town election as provided, but only if petitions proposing the reconsideration have been signed (either before or after reconsideration by the Town Council) by electors equal in number to 10% of the total number of electors.
B. 
Rules. To be counted as a signer of a petition, the signer must be a qualified registered voter of the Town at the time the petition is presented to the Town Clerk. The term "the total number of electors" as used herein means the total number of qualified registered electors of the Town at the most recent regular Town election. The Board of Canvassers has the authority to issue further rules not inconsistent with these provisions regulating the form of petitions, the form of evidence to be required with respect to the circulation and signature of petitions and other procedural matters which reasonably should be regulated with respect to initiative and referendum petitions. The Town Clerk shall make all determinations as to the sufficiency of petitioners, the validity of signatures and the like, subject to the right of the petitioners' committee to appeal the same to the Board of Canvassers, whose determination shall be final and binding on all parties.
C. 
Procedure as to valid petitions. When an initiative or referendum petition has been finally determined sufficient, the Town Council shall promptly consider the proposed initiative ordinance or reconsider the referred ordinance, in both cases in the same manner as provided for adoption of an ordinance proposed by a member of the Town Council, including public hearing. If the Town Council fails to adopt a proposed initiative ordinance without any change in substance within 60 days or fails to repeal the referred ordinance within 60 days after the date of public hearing, and if by the expiration of that period valid petitions signed by the requisite number of electors are on file with the Town Clerk, it shall submit the proposal or referred ordinance to the electors of the Town.
[Amended 11-7-1978; 11-7-2000]
The vote of the Town on a proposed or referred ordinance shall be held not less than 30 days and not later than one year from the date of a final Town Council vote thereon. If no regular Town election is to be held within the period prescribed in this section, the Town Council shall provide for a special election; otherwise, the vote shall be held at the same time as such regular election, except that the Town Council may at its discretion provide for a special election at an earlier date within the prescribed period. Copies of the proposed or referred ordinance shall be made available at the polls and the Town Hall.
[Amended 11-78-1978]
A. 
An initiative or referendum petition may be withdrawn at any time prior to the 15th day preceding the day scheduled for a vote of the Town by filing with the Town Clerk a request for withdrawal signed by at least four members of the petitioners' committee. Upon the filing of such request the petition has no further force or effect, and all proceedings thereon shall be terminated.
B. 
If an initiative or referendum petition bearing the signatures of at least 5% of the total number of electors has not been submitted to the Town Clerk within 120 days after the receipt of petition blanks by the petitioners' committee, then the initiative or referendum petition shall be considered as withdrawn and has no further force or effect and all proceedings thereon shall be terminated.
[Amended 11-7-1978; 11-4-1986]
A. 
Initiative. If a majority of the qualified electors voting on a proposed initiative ordinance votes in its favor, it shall be considered adopted upon certification of the election results and shall be treated in all respects in the same manner as ordinances of the same kind adopted by the Town Council; provided, however, any initiative ordinance enacted under this Charter may not be repealed by the Town Council less than one year following its adoption. If conflicting ordinances are approved at the same election, the one receiving the greatest number of affirmative votes shall prevail to the extent of such conflict.
B. 
Referendum. If a majority of the qualified electors voting on a referred ordinance votes against it, it shall be considered repealed upon certification of the election results. No referred ordinance repealed under this Charter shall be reenacted by the Town Council less than one year following its repeal.