AN ACT TO AMEND THE CHARTER OF THE TOWN OF TOWNSEND.

This Act amends the Charter of the Town of Townsend in the following ways: 1. It requires the Town Council to determine rules for Town Meetings after being sworn in at the Town Council reorganization meeting in June of each year. 2. It removes the requirement that a copy of ordinances, codes, rules and regulations be printed for each official of the Town. 3. It allows the Mayor to vote on Town matters, whereas before, the Mayor could only vote in the event of a tie. 4. It clarifies the procedures for disqualification and removal from office for the Mayor and Council members, as well as election procedures and term of office. 5. For a councilperson to be elected mayor, they must have sat as a councilperson for at least twelve consecutive months, although if no such members of the council qualify, the Mayor will be elected from the sitting members. 6. All candidates must successfully pass a background check as provided by the Town. 7. If within 90 days of the swearing in, a newly sworn in Councilperson is disqualified, the candidate with the next highest number of votes shall be appointed to fill the remainder of the term. 8. The Town Manager will now have the ability to authorize and approve reimbursements. 9. It revises the section of the Charter regarding the Police Force. This Act also makes technical changes to the Charter as deemed appropriate.