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[Sec. 200. - State Law to Govern.]#
The provisions of the Constitution and the General Laws of the State of Rhode Island now or hereafter in effect pertaining to elections, special, general and primary, and also all special acts pertaining to elections in the Town of Tiverton now or hereafter in effect shall govern all town elections, special, general and primary, so far as they may be applicable, excepting those provisions which are inconsistent with the provisions of this Charter affecting the form of government.
Sec. 201. - Canvassing Authority.#
There shall be a Board of Canvassers consisting of three (3) electors appointed by the Town Council for six (6) year terms as provided by the Constitution and Laws of the State. No more than two (2) members shall be of the same party. Said terms shall be staggered so that no more than one (1) term expires at the end of any two (2) year period. Said Canvassing Authority shall be vested with all the powers and duties now or hereafter vested by law in the Board of Canvassers. All members of the Board now in office shall continue until the expiration of the terms for which they are appointed.
Sec. 202. - Vacancy of Elected Positions.#
Should an elected position of Town Clerk or Town Treasurer be vacated for any reason, the Town Council shall appoint a person to fill the vacated position until the next General Election.
Notwithstanding any other provision in this Charter, for all elected positions, other than the Town Clerk and Town Treasurer, that become vacant, the qualified candidate for that position with the next highest number of votes from the last election shall be appointed by the Town Council to fill the unexpired term of the vacated position. If said candidate declines the appointment to fill the vacancy, the appointment shall be offered to the qualified candidate with the next highest votes, and so forth, until either a qualified candidate accepts the appointment or until the list of qualified candidates is exhausted. If the candidate list is exhausted, the Town Council shall advertise the vacancy and may appoint a person from the list of applicants for the advertised vacancy. A qualified candidate as used in this section is a person who declared for the vacated position, obtained the requisite signatures to appear on the ballot, and appeared on the ballot in the election.
(Charter Amend. of 11-6-18(1))
Sec. 203. - Balloting on Major Appropriations And On Proposals For Borrowing or the Issuance of Bonds.#
Any major or special appropriation, other than those which are part of the annual budget, for an amount in excess of $500,000.00, and any proposal for the borrowing of money by the Town either by note or by the issuance of bonds in an amount in excess of $500,000.00, whether such appropriation or such borrowing be for school purposes or for any other Town purpose, including the issuance of special obligation bonds under G.L. tit. 45, ch. 33.2, must be approved by the electors at a referendum. All referenda for such purposes shall take place at a general election or at a special election as the Council shall determine. Special elections for such referenda shall be scheduled by the Board of Canvassers, which shall also determine the hours, number and locations of the polling places to be used. Voting at such special elections shall be by ballots prepared by the Town Clerk. The Council shall cause language to be prepared with the approval of the Board of Canvassers for all such referendum questions describing clearly the amount, and purpose of the appropriation or borrowing for which approval is sought. There shall be a public hearing at least ten (10) days before the referendum vote. Notice of the time and place(s) for such referendum voting, and of the questions to be voted on thereat, shall be given by the Town Clerk by advertising the same at least once in a newspaper of general circulation in the Town no less than one (1) week prior to the referendum vote. The date of such Special Meeting shall not exceed forty five (45) days following certification of the petition. The provisions of this Section shall not apply to borrowing in anticipation of taxes, or of federal or state grants, as provided for under G.L. tit. 45, ch. 12.
Sec. 204. - Transfer of Town Land.#
The transfer of any property rights in and/or ownership of any parcel/lot or tract of land owned by the Town of Tiverton as of November 5, 2008, except for parcels in the Industrial Park and transfers pursuant to G.L. § 44-9-18.3, must be approved by a vote of the electors of the Town of Tiverton either at a Financial Town Referendum, or a Referendum. Any such approval shall expire within five (5) years. Leasing of Town property for a period of ten (10) years or less shall not constitute a transfer of property, provided that at the end of the leasing period the Town retains sole right to renew, continue, or terminate the lease. This section shall not prohibit the Town Council from transferring property rights for the purpose of restricting use of any parcel/lot of land, for conservation or preservation purposes, or in connection with the provision of public utilities or similar services.