A petition for the election of a Commission to frame a Charter, pursuant
to the provisions of the Constitution of the state, may be filed with the
Town Council by presenting the same to the Town Clerk, who shall refer such
petition to the Town Council at its next regular or called special meeting.
Any petition, the intent of which is to provide for the adoption of
a Charter in accordance with the Constitution, shall be a proper petition
notwithstanding the form or wording of the petition. A petition may consist
of several petitions which shall be assembled into one petition before it
is filed with the Council.
Upon the receipt of such a petition by the Council, it shall be referred
forthwith to the canvassing authority. A special meeting of the canvassing
authority shall be held for the purpose of receiving the petition.
Within 10 days after receiving such petition, the canvassing authority
shall determine the sufficiency thereof and shall certify the result to the
Council by returning the petition to the Town Clerk, with its endorsement
thereon in the case of a valid petition or without such endorsement if the
number of valid signatures is determined to be insufficient.
If any petition is found by the canvassing authority to be insufficient
or defective, it shall designate the defects and so report to the Council.
The Town Clerk thereupon shall return the petition to the person from whom
it was received, and such petition may be presented to the Council as a new
petition whenever sufficient additional signatures are obtained.
If a petition shall contain a sufficient number of valid signatures,
the Town Clerk shall present such petition, bearing the endorsement of the
canvassing authority, to the Town Council at its next regular or called special
meeting, and the receipt of such petition shall be entered in the record of
proceedings.
The Town Council thereupon shall fix the date for a special election
and shall by resolution issue a call for a special election to submit to the
qualified electors the following question: "Shall a Commission be appointed
to frame a Charter?"
Such an election shall be held within 60 days following the day on which
a petition, certified by the canvassing authority as valid and sufficient,
is received by the Council.
