(a)
Municipal elections shall take place on the first Tuesday following
the first Monday in November in odd-numbered years and in accordance
with the Statutes.
(b)
Special Town elections may be called and held in accordance with
the Statutes.
(c)
The Town Clerk and Justices of the Peace shall take office on the
first Monday of January following their election.
(d)
Registrars of Voters and the Judge of Probate shall take office on
the first Wednesday of January following their election.
(e)
District 17 Regional Board of Education officials shall take office
on the first day of December following their election.
(f)
All Town officials other than those identified in Sections (c), (d)
and (e) above, shall take office on the second Tuesday following their
election.
(a)
Only electors of the Town of Killingworth shall be eligible for election
to any Town office, and any person ceasing to be an elector of the
Town shall cease to hold elective office in the Town and the office
shall be deemed vacant.
(b)
All elective officers shall be sworn within 30 days of election and
before taking office or their office will be deemed vacant. The officer
administering the oath shall record such fact in the Town Clerk's
office.
(a)
Membership on all elective Boards of the Town shall be determined
in accordance with minority representation laws as set forth by Section
9-167a in the Statutes.
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Total Membership
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Maximum from One Party
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|---|---|---|
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3
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2
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4
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3
| |
|
5
|
4
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6
|
4
| |
|
7
|
5
| |
|
8
|
5
| |
|
9
|
6
| |
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More than 9
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Two thirds of total membership
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(b)
Minority representation requirements shall not apply to members of
the District 17 Regional Board of Education, as set forth by Statute.
(a)
Any elected officer other than the Town Clerk and the Judge of Probate
wishing to resign from office including officials elected to the Regional
Board of Education, shall submit his/her resignation in writing to
the Town Clerk. Should the Town Clerk wish to resign, he/she shall
submit his/her resignation in writing to the Board of Selectmen. Such
resignations shall become effective the date submitted unless another
date is specified therein.
(b)
Vacancies created by the demise of a Board member, or by a Board
member's failure to be sworn or ceasing to be an elector, shall
be reported by the chairman or, in his/her absence, the secretary
of that Board, to the Town Clerk before the first meeting of the Board
of Selectmen following creation of the vacancy.
(c)
The Town Clerk, upon receiving a resignation or notice of a vacancy,
shall forthwith notify the Board of Selectmen, the chairmen of the
Town committees, and shall at the same time publish an announcement
as prescribed by law and in such a way as to bring the resignation
or vacancy to the attention of the Town. This announcement shall also
identify the appointing authority.
(d)
A vacancy occurring on the Board of Finance or the Planning and Zoning
Commission shall be filled, until the expiration of the term, by a
vote of the remaining members. A special meeting, with at least 24
hours' notice, as required by Statute, shall be called for this
purpose, and the vote shall be taken in public. However, if a vacancy
is not filled within 45 days from the time that the office becomes
vacant, the Board of Selectmen shall fill the vacancy by appointment
within 30 days thereafter.
(e)
Vacancies other than the Planning and Zoning Commission and the Board
of Finance shall be filled by Board of Selectmen appointment within
45 days from the time the office becomes vacant. The Town Committee
representing the party of the vacated official shall have 30 days
in which to propose an appointee to the Board of Selectmen.
(f)
When the person vacating the office had been elected as a member of a political party, such vacancy shall be filled by the appointment of a member of the same political party, if at all possible. In all cases, appointments must be made in compliance with minority representation and the Statutes. A vacancy shall not be considered filled until the person appointed to fill that vacancy has been sworn into office and the swearing has been recorded in the manner prescribed in Section 4-2(b) of this Charter.
(g)
Vacancies on the Board of Selectmen shall be filled in the manner
prescribed by Section 9-222 of the Statutes.
(h)
An appointee to a vacancy in elective office shall serve until the
expiration of the term.
(a)
Copies of all minutes taken by each Board shall be filed with the
Town Clerk and with the First Selectman within seven days of the date
on which such actions are taken and shall include the roll call vote
of those present, a description of the various items of business discussed
or transacted, a reference to all correspondence received, and the
recorded vote of each member thereof on all issues.
(b)
The vote of each member upon any issue before a Board shall be reduced
to writing and made available for public inspection at the Town Clerk's
Office within 48 hours in accordance with Section 1-225 of the Statutes.
(a)
Except as otherwise provided in this Charter, all Boards authorized
in this article shall meet within 30 days of taking office, shall
elect a chairman and secretary, and may define rules of procedure
for the conduct of their meetings and the execution of their duties.
Such rules and any amendments thereto shall be filed with the Town
Clerk and shall be public record.
(b)
The chairman and secretary of such boards shall file with the Town
Clerk, no later than January 31 of each year, the schedule of regular
meetings for the ensuing year, and no such meetings will be held sooner
than 30 days after such a schedule has been filed. Special meetings
shall require 24 hours' notice, except for emergencies, as provided
in Section 1-225 of the Statutes.
(c)
Except as otherwise provided in this Charter, the compensation of all such boards shall be as recommended by the Board of Selectmen and Board of Finance and shall be subject to the same budgeting procedure as is described in Article IX of the Charter. Officials serving without pay shall be reimbursed for just and necessary expenses incurred in the performance of their duties, subject to the limits of appropriations available for such purposes.
(d)
The First Selectman shall provide each person elected to a Board
or Commission with a copy of the ordinance or other source, including
this Charter, which defines the duties of his/her office.
(a)
A Board of Selectmen, consisting of the First Selectman and two Selectmen,
shall be elected for a term of two years at each municipal election.
(b)
No elector may be a candidate for both the position of First Selectman
and that of Selectman. No more than two members of the Board of Selectmen
may be members of the same political party.
(a)
At a municipal election there shall be elected a Tax Collector. The
Tax Collector shall serve a term of four years and shall have the
powers and duties prescribed by law.
(b)
At each municipal election there shall be elected a Treasurer. The
Treasurer shall exercise the functions of the Agent of Town Deposit
Fund. The Treasurer shall serve a term of two years and shall have
the powers and duties prescribed by law.
(a)
The Town Clerk, elected at a municipal election, and the Registrars
of Voters, elected at a state election, shall be elected for a term
of four years.
(b)
The number of Justices of the Peace shall be 15, and they shall be
nominated and qualified to serve in the manner provided by the Statutes.
The Justices of the Peace shall serve the term of four years.
The Board of Finance shall consist of six members serving without compensation for four years each. Employees of the Town are not allowed to serve on the Board of Finance. The Board shall have the powers and duties prescribed by law and as described in Article IX of this Charter.
The Planning and Zoning Commission shall consist of six members,
serving without compensation for four years each. There shall be three
alternates, also serving without compensation for four years each.
Employees of the Town are not allowed to serve on the Planning and
Zoning Commission. The Commission shall have the powers and duties
prescribed by Statutes.
The functions and responsibilities of the Commission shall include
the following:
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preparation and adoption of a Plan of Development,
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designation of zoning districts in accordance with that Plan,
and
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preparation, adoption, and implementation of zoning and subdivision
regulations in furtherance of the Plan of Development and the long-term
health and safety of the Town,
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all as specified in Chapters 124 and 126 of the Statutes. To
the extent provided by the Statutes, and within the limits of its
appropriations, the Commission may, by vote of a majority of its members,
engage such employees, including legal counsel, as are necessary for
its work and may contract with professional consultants.
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The Zoning Board of Appeals shall consist of five members, serving
without compensation for four years each. There shall be three alternates,
also serving four years each. Employees of the Town are not allowed
to serve on the Zoning Board of Appeals. Such Board shall have the
powers and duties as prescribed by the law.
The functions and responsibilities of the Board include the
following: (1) hearing and deciding appeals where it is alleged there
is an error in any order, requirement, or decision made under Chapter
124 of the Statutes; (2) hearing and deciding special exceptions as
required by the specific terms of the zoning bylaws; and (3) determining
and varying the application of zoning bylaws, ordinances, or regulations
solely with respect to a parcel of land for reasons of unusual hardship,
as specified in Chapter 124 of the Statutes.
(a)
The Board of Assessment Appeals shall consist of three members serving
four years each.
(b)
The functions and responsibilities of this Board shall consist of
the hearing of grievances regarding tax assessments and the making
of adjustments to the Grand List as provided for by Section 12-111
of the Statutes.
(a)
The Board of Fire Commissioners shall consist of three members: two
elected Commissioners, one from each political party elected at each
municipal election for a term of two years, and one Commissioner who
will be the Senior Trustee duly elected by the Fire Company.
(b)
The Board of Fire Commissioners shall enter into an agreement, in
writing, with the Killingworth Volunteer Fire Company for the protection
of the Town from fire; shall act as an advisory board to the Fire
Company; shall submit through the Board of Selectmen and the Board
of Finance to each Annual Town Budget Meeting a fire protection budget
with a request for an appropriation therefore; and shall have the
duty of making all disbursements under the Town's appropriation
for fire protection.
The Town shall elect five members to the District 17 Regional
Board of Education, subject to such future adjustments as are necessary
to insure balanced representation of member towns. Members elected
to the Regional Board of Education shall serve four years each, and
vacancies on the Board shall be filled by vote at a Town Meeting,
as provided for in Section 10-46 of the Statutes, to serve until a
successor is chosen and qualified at the next municipal election,
at which time a successor shall be elected to serve any unexpired
portions of that term.
Additional boards may be established by ordinance submitted
to and approved by a Town Meeting. Such ordinance shall specify the
board's powers and duties, number of members, terms of office,
and method of filling vacancies.
No Board authorized in Sections 4-10 through 4-15 of this Charter shall have more than a bare majority of terms of office expiring at the same election, except that the Board of Finance and the Planning and Zoning Commission shall have no more than half of the terms expiring at the same election.
