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[HISTORY: Adopted by referendum 11-4-2003 . [1] Amendments noted where applicable.] PREFACE Form of Government. The municipal government provided by this Charter shall be known as the "Mayor Council Government." An elected Mayor shall be the chief executive officer of the Town. All the legislative powers of the Town shall be vested in an elective Council, hereinafter referred to as the "Council." In addition to the powers hereinafter specifically set forth, the Mayor and Council shall have all the powers granted to municipal corporations by the Constitution and General Statutes of the State of Connecticut, and all implied powers necessary to carry into execution the powers hereinafter set forth and the powers granted to municipal corporations by the Const...

[Amended 11-4-2008 ] The Mayor shall be elected at a regular town election commencing with the election to be held on November 8, 2005 and every four (4) years thereafter, as provided by law. The Mayor shall hold office for a term of four (4) years, to commence on the second Monday of December following his or her election.

The Mayor shall be the chief executive officer of the Town and shall have all of the executive powers vested by law or by this Charter, except as otherwise provided or limited by this Charter. He or she shall be recognized as the official head of the Town for all ceremonial purposes, by the courts for the purpose of serving civil process and by the Governor for military purposes. In his or her absence, all legal process issued by and on behalf of the Town requiring the affidavit of an official of the Town shall be signed by the Town Clerk. [Amended 11-4-2008] The Mayor shall be a full-time paid position and he or she shall not engage in any other employment during his or her term of office. Except as otherwise provided in this Charter, the duties of the M...

[Amended 11-4-2008 ] (a) In the event the Mayor is temporarily absent or temporarily medically impaired and is, because of such absence or impairment, unable to communicate with the Chief Administrative Officer or unable to perform the duties of the office of Mayor, the Chairman of the Council shall become Acting Mayor. In the event the Chairman of the Council is unavailable, and until such time as the Chairman of the Council becomes available, the Council Chairman Pro Tempore shall become Acting Mayor. The Acting Mayor shall assume the office of Mayor, and shall possess all of the powers of the office of Mayor, except that he or she shall not have the power to terminate or permanently hire any director or department head, shall not have the right to brea...

[Amended 11-4-2008 [1] ] (a) The Mayor shall nominate members to boards, commissions, authorities, agencies and offices as may be required by Charter, ordinance, resolution or General Statute. The Mayor shall, within two (2) business days of making the nomination, notify the Town Clerk, the Council Chairman and the Council Clerk, in writing of said nomination. Any person nominated to any such board, commission, authority, agency or office which has the authority, without the consent of the Town Council, to spend any appropriated funds, to enter into an agreement, or to render a final decision on any matter, or which board, commission, authority, agency or office is established pursuant to state or federal law, shall be subject to confirmation by a majorit...

The Mayor, except as otherwise provided in this Charter, shall be a member, ex officio, of all boards, commissions and special committees, but he or she shall not have any voting power, except when such a body shall, as a result of a tie vote, fail to organize or elect necessary officers, in either of which case the Mayor shall have a tie-breaking vote. The Mayor is empowered to convene any or all of the appointed boards and commissions of the Town to review and coordinate activities and to plan operations of the Town government. The Council and all boards, commissions and agencies shall exercise all its administrative functions only through the Mayor. The Council may, at a properly constituted meeting of which the Mayor has been duly warned, call before ...

The Council shall consist of ten (10) members, one to be elected from each of the ten (10) districts established as herein provided, all of whom shall serve for a term of two (2) years commencing on the second Monday of December following their election and terminating upon qualification of their several successors. Each Council Member shall be an elector and each district Council Member shall be registered on the list of electors in the district from which he or she is elected. If a Council Member removes his or her residence from the district from which he or she is elected he or she shall be deemed to have vacated his or her office. No Council Member shall hold any other Town office or employment.

[Amended 11-4-2008 ] The Council shall be the judge of the election and qualification of its members, subject to review by the courts. Any Council Member who, during his/her term of office, is convicted of a felony shall thereby forfeit his or her office.

[Amended 11-4-2008 ] At eight o'clock p.m., on the second Monday of December following the regular Town election, the Council shall meet at the usual place for holding meetings, at which time the newly elected Council Members shall be sworn and shall assume the duties of their office. Thereafter the Council shall meet in regular session at least monthly at such time and place as may be prescribed by ordinance. Special meetings may be called by the Mayor, Council Chairman or at the written request of any six (6) Council Members. Written notice of such special meeting shall be delivered to each Council Member, or left at his or her usual place of abode no less than 24 hours before the time of such special meeting. Such notice shall state the purpose of the ...

[Amended 11-4-2008 ] The Council may determine its rules of procedure, may punish its members for misconduct and may compel attendance of its members. Six (6) Council Members shall constitute a quorum to do business, but a smaller number may adjourn from time to time.

The Council shall choose one of its members to act as Council Chairman, but this office shall not deprive such Chairman of his or her vote on any question. The Council Chairman shall preside at all meetings of the Council and shall perform such other duties consistent with his or her office as may be imposed by the Council. The Chairman shall appoint the Chairman of all Committees of the Council. Membership on committees shall be appointed by a majority vote of six Council Members. The Council shall also choose one of its members to act as Council Chairman Pro Tempore. The Council Chairman Pro Tempore shall preside at all meetings in the absence of the Council Chairman. In the event the Council Chairman has vacated his office, the Chairman Pro Tempore sha...

The members of the Council and the Council Chairman shall serve without compensation, except for the reimbursement of actual expenses incurred in the performance of his or her official duties with prior authorization and approval of expenses, either by receipt or written explanation of the Town Council or a designated Council Committee.

Any vacancy in the office of a district Council Member occurring less than one (1) year prior to the next regular municipal election shall be filled by the Council for the unexpired portion of the term from the electors of the district in which the vacancy occurred and from the same political party as the Council Member whose office is vacated. If any district Council Member shall not be affiliated with a political party and shall vacate his or her office within the time period mentioned above, such vacancy shall be filled for the unexpired term by majority vote of the remaining Council Members from the list of unaffiliated voters of the Town or of a particular district. If any vacancy occurs in the office of a district Council Member one (1) or more year...

[Amended 11-4-2008 ] The Council shall have the power to make, alter and repeal resolutions and ordinances (a) relative to the regulation of the various departments; (b) relative to the acquisition of real or personal property, within and without the Town, by purchase, gift, devise, condemnation, lease, contract or otherwise; (c) relative to the sale, leasing, management, improvement and control of such property; (d) relative to the levy and collection of assessments for local improvements upon property benefited thereby; (e) relative to the appropriation of Town funds, including the transfer of funds between departments; (f) relative to the making and enforcement of police, sanitary and other similar regulations; (g) relative to the definition, abatement...

[Amended 11-4-2008 ] If the Mayor shall veto the annual budget appropriation ordinance, or any portion thereof, the Council may, within fourteen (14) days following said veto, override the Mayor’s veto by the affirmative vote of seven (7) members. If the Mayor shall veto any other ordinance, the Council may, at any time from the date of the veto, up to and including the close of business at its next regular meeting following said veto, override the Mayor's veto by the affirmative vote of seven (7) members of the Council.

The Council shall have the power to establish by ordinance special funds for such specified purpose as may be set forth in the Town plan for long term financing, such funds to be included in the Annual Budget and the moneys therefor to be raised by taxation or by bequest, gift or transfer, as provided in this Charter. No provision shall be made in the budget for any such special funds, unless such funds shall have been previously created by ordinance and all ordinances creating such funds shall be subject to the initiative and referendum provisions as provided in this Charter.

No ordinance providing for the issue of bonds shall be passed without public notice at least two (2) weeks before final action by the Council and either the approval of seven (7) members of the Council or submission to the electors of the Town at a regular or special election and the approval of a majority of those voting thereon. Every issue of bonds shall be payable within a term of years not to exceed the estimated period of utility of the improvement for which they are issued and in no case exceed thirty (30) years, and shall be payable, with the exception of the last annual installment, in equal annual serial installments. Every ordinance for the issue of bonds shall provide for a tax levy for each year to meet the annual serial installments of princ...