§ 50. Initiative and removal.

Special meetings of the electors for the purpose of voting on any proper question, including the removal from office of any appointee of the city council, may be called at any time by the mayor or by the city council, and shall be called whenever electors to the number of ten per cent of the electors who were entitled to vote at the last general city election shall petition that such meeting be called. The signatures to such a petition need not all be appended to one paper, but each signer shall add to his signature a statement of his place of residence, giving the street and number, if any. One of the signers of the petition shall make oath before an officer competent to administer oaths that each signature appended to such paper is the genuine signature of the person whose name it purports to be. Within five days from the filing of such petition with the town clerk, said town clerk shall ascertain if such petition is signed by the regular number of qualified electors, and he shall attach to such petition a certificate showing the result of such examination. If, by said clerk's certificate, the petition be found to be insufficient, it may be amended within ten days from the date of such certificate. The clerk shall make like examination of the amended petition, and, if his certificate shall show the same to be insufficient, it shall be returned to the person filing the same, without prejudice to the filing of a new petition to the same effect. If the petition shall be found to be sufficient, the clerk shall, without delay, submit the same to the city council. The petition for each electors' meeting shall state specifically the resolution or resolutions it is desired to have submitted to vote at such meeting. Upon receipt of such petition, the city council shall either (a) pass such resolution or resolutions without alteration, within twenty days after attachment of the clerk's certificate to the accompanying petition, in which case the petition shall become of no effect, or (b) if the petition shall not have been withdrawn in a written statement signed by a majority of the signers of the original petition, call a special meeting of the electors within thirty days unless a general municipal election is to be held within ninety days thereafter; and at such special or general meeting, the resolution or resolutions shall be submitted to a vote of the electors of said city. All votes at the meetings of the electors shall be taken by the check list at the polling places in the several voting districts. The registrars of voters shall have power to appoint such election officers as are necessary. The question of the passage of any such resolution shall be designated on the voting machine, or on the ballot, if required, in the following words "for the resolution" (stating the nature of the proposed resolution). At the close of the election, the votes registered or ballots cast shall be counted immediately and the result in each voting district shall be declared by the moderator. The moderator of the first voting district shall declare the general result on this and all other elections and he shall certify such results to the town clerk forthwith. The registrars shall, if requested, appoint one challenger from each side of the matter to be voted upon. If a majority of the qualified electors voting upon any proposed resolution shall vote in favor thereof, such resolution shall thereupon become a valid resolution of the city and any resolution proposed by petition, or which shall be adopted by vote of the people, shall not be repealed or amended except by vote of the people.

(Amend. eff. 12-8-05)

Legislative history— Sp. No. 352, § 66, 1911; Sp. No. 434, § 138, 1931; Sp. No. 489, § 52, 1939; Sp. No. 188, 1955.