Whenever the Common Council shall be of opinion that the interests
of the City require the expenditure of money for any extraordinary
or special purpose which cannot be made from the moneys it is authorized
to raise under other provisions of this Charter, it shall cause a
report to be published in the official newspaper stating the objects
for which such expenditure ought to be made, the amount which it would
require to be raised and the reasons which the Common Council believes
render it necessary or expedient, together with a notice that upon
a day fixed therein, and which shall be at least three weeks after
the first publication of such report and notice, a special election
shall be held at some central and convenient place therein designated
at which the question whether the amount required for such expenditure
shall be raised by a special tax will be submitted to the qualified
electors for their determination. The publication of the notices shall
be continued daily except Sundays and legal holidays until the day
appointed for the special election.
The Common Council shall appoint five electors of the City inspectors
of such election. The City Clerk shall attend such election and have
with him the current list of electors of the City. The inspectors
of such election shall take the oath required by law of inspectors
of election and they shall have the same powers and perform the same
duties and in like manner as inspectors of election. In case any inspector
shall fail to attend such election, the City Clerk shall forthwith
appoint an elector of the City to fill the vacancy. The Common Council
may set such hours during which the polls of such election shall be
open as it may deem necessary and convenient.
If a person offering a vote at such special election shall be
challenged in relation to his rights by any other person entitled
to vote thereat, one of the inspectors shall tender to him the following
oath or affirmation: "You swear (or affirm) that you are a resident
of the City of Hudson, aged 18 years or upwards, and that you have
not voted at this election." If he shall take the oath and his name
shall be found on the current list of electors of the City, his vote
shall be received; if he shall decline to take it, it shall not be
received. All provisions of law for punishing false swearing and fraudulent
voting and for preserving order at election shall be applicable to
special elections held pursuant to the provisions of this article
so far as they can be applied.
Every person voting at such special election must vote by a
ballot folded so as to conceal its contents, upon which shall be written
or printed or partly written and partly printed on two separate lines
the words "for special tax" and "against special tax," and to the
left of each such line there shall be a voting square in one of which
the voter shall make a cross mark or check mark, which shall indicate
his vote. The ballots shall be received by the inspectors and deposited
in a box provided for the purpose, and at the closing of the polls
shall be canvassed in the same manner as the ballots are canvassed
at the annual election for City officers, and all provisions of law
applicable to such canvass shall be applicable so far as possible
to canvass for special elections.
The inspectors of the special elections held pursuant to the
provisions of this article shall make and sign a certificate of the
number of votes "for special tax," and "against special tax," and
shall file the same with the City Clerk upon the same or the next
succeeding day. The City Clerk shall present such certificate to the
Common Council at its next meeting, and the same shall be recorded
at length in the record of proceedings.
If it shall appear that a majority of the votes cast at such
special election were "for special tax," the Common Council may borrow
upon the credit of the City the amount specified and shall issue bonds
or certificates of indebtedness therefor and shall cause the amount
specified to be raised by tax for the purpose therein set forth, in
addition to the moneys otherwise authorized to be raised by the provisions
of this Charter. It may direct the whole sum required to be raised
in addition to and with the next annual tax for ordinary expenses,
or in two or more equal annual installments, with the next two or
more annual tax levies. Such special tax, whether raised in one, two
or more annual installments, shall be added to the sums otherwise
to be raised and imposed and collected therewith, and by the same
power and authority. All moneys raised pursuant to the provisions
of this article shall be kept by the City Treasurer as a separate
fund, and shall be subject only to drafts to be drawn by the Common
Council, specifying that the same were drawn to meet the expenditures
for which they were raised.
