This Charter shall take effect on the first Monday in January, 1995, if the Board of Canvassers shall have certified that it was approved by the electors of the Town voting thereon, or upon the date of such certification if the same shall be made later than the first Monday in January, 1995.
This Charter shall be placed before the electors of the Town of Little Compton at the general election to be held on the first Tuesday after the first Monday in November, 1994, for their approval or rejection. At said election, all Town offices which had been filled by vote of the electors of the Town heretofore, shall be filled in the same manner as previously, and all persons so elected shall serve the terms set for their offices regardless of whether or not this Charter is approved. In the event of such approval, those so elected whose offices have been made appointive under this Charter, shall upon completion of their terms, have their offices filled by appointment as provided herein.
A. 
Offices heretofore filled by Council appointment shall continue to be so appointed as provided in this Charter. Offices previously filled at the general election or by election at the Financial Town Meeting, and which under the terms of this Charter are to be filled by Council appointment, shall be so appointed upon the expiration of the terms they were serving as of the general election of November 1994 or the terms to which they were elected at said general election, as the case may be.
B. 
Offices currently filled by election at the Financial Town Meeting which are to be filled by ballot under the provisions of Section 204 of this Charter shall be filled as follows:
The five members of the Budget Committee elected at the Financial Town Meeting held in May 1995 shall hold their offices for terms of two (2) years or until their successors are elected at the Financial Town Meeting in May 1997. Thereafter the Budget Committee shall be elected at the Financial Town Meeting in each odd numbered year for terms of two years.
The membership of the Beach Commission, under the terms of this Charter shall be reduced from six to five, each elected for a term of four (4) years, with their terms so arranged that the terms of two members shall expire in one odd numbered year, and the terms of three members shall expire the next odd numbered year. The offices of the two Commission members whose terms expire in 1995 shall be filled for terms of four years which shall expire in 1999; only one of the offices of the two Commission members whose terms expire in 1996 shall be filled, for a term of three years which shall expire in 1999; and the offices of the two Commission members whose terms expire in 1997 shall be filled for terms of four years which shall expire in 2001. All subsequent elections to the Commission shall be held at the Financial Town Meetings in odd numbered years for terms of four years.
In the event that it proves necessary to make any changes or transfers of funds appropriated in the budget for the fiscal year during which this Charter takes effect, to facilitate the operation of the Town government under the provisions of the Charter, the Council shall have the power to make such changes or transfers.
As of the effective date of this Charter, all special acts of the General Assembly applicable to the Town of Little Compton shall continue in effect except insofar as they are inconsistent with the provisions of this Charter or any ordinance of the Town enacted pursuant to the powers conferred by this Charter. All ordinances, resolutions, rules and regulations of the Town in force as of the effective date of this Charter and not inconsistent herewith, shall continue in force until amended or repealed.
All taxes levied or assessed by the Town prior to the effective date of this Charter which have not been collected by the Town shall be collected with any interest or penalties thereon by the Town acting under this Charter in accordance with law. All licenses and permits issued by the Town, or any agency thereof, prior to the effective date of this Charter, shall continue in full force and effect until the termination date thereof, unless superseded or revoked for cause. All contracts, leases, franchises and other obligations, entered into by the Town, or for its benefit, prior to the effective date of this Charter, shall continue in full force and effect.
No actions or proceedings, civil or criminal, in law or in equity, pending at the time when this Charter shall take effect, brought by or against the Town, or any office, department, agency or officer thereof, shall be affected or abated by the adoption of this Charter or by anything contained in this Charter.
All commissions, boards, departments, or offices, whether elective or appointed, shall continue in the performance of their powers, duties and functions as heretofore, subject to the provisions of this Charter.
All persons employed in the service of the Town on the effective date of this Charter, shall continue in such employment until promoted, demoted or removed in accordance with the provisions of this Charter or ordinances enacted pursuant thereto.