2022 -- S 2974

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LC005861

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     STATE OF RHODE ISLAND

IN GENERAL ASSEMBLY

JANUARY SESSION, A.D. 2022

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A N   A C T

RELATING TO AUTHORIZING THE AMENDMENT OF THE WARWICK CITY CHARTER

REGARDING NEW ELECTED TERM LENGTHS AND TERM LIMITS FOR MAYOR AND

COUNCIL ELECTIVE TERMS COMMENCING JANUARY, 2025

     

     Introduced By: Senators McCaffrey, Anderson, and Calkin

     Date Introduced: May 19, 2022

     Referred To: Senate Judiciary

     It is enacted by the General Assembly as follows:

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     SECTION 1. Pursuant to the request of the Warwick City Council by resolution adopted

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on April 19, 2022, Article 2, Section 1, and Article 3, Section 1, of the Warwick City Charter are

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hereby amended to read as follows:

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     Article 2, Section 1 - CITY COUNCIL - Structure and powers.

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     The legislative powers of the city shall be vested in the city council. The city council shall

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consist of nine members who shall be elected in each even year for a term of two years, with service

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on the city council to be limited to six consecutive two-year terms, exclusive of service prior to

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January, 2025, and any partial term of less than one year, previously served. One member of the

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council shall be elected form each of the nine wards, and members shall be residents of the wards

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they represent.

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     Article 3, Section 1. - MAYOR - Election and term.

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     There shall be a mayor who shall be elected at the general election in each even year for a

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term of two (2) four (4) years, until his successor is elected and qualified, with a limit on service as

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mayor to two (2) consecutive terms, exclusive of service prior to January, 2025, and any partial

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term of less than two (2) years previously served.

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     SECTION 2. Pursuant to Article X, Section 10-29 of the City Charter, these amendments

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shall be submitted to the voters of the city at the next general election to be held in November,

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2022, for approval or rejection thereof in the following form:

 

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     "1. For elective terms commencing January 2025, shall the term of office for Mayor be

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increased from two (2) to four (4) years with service as Mayor limited to two (2) consecutive four

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(4)-year terms, exclusive of service prior to January 2025 and any partial term of less than two (2)

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years, and shall service on the City Council be limited to six (6) consecutive two (2)-year terms,

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exclusive of service prior to January 2025 and any partial term of less than one year?

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      APPROVE DISAPPROVE"

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     SECTION 3. This section and section 2 of this act shall take effect upon passage, and

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Section 1 of this act shall take effect if a majority of those electors qualified to vote upon the

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question as set forth in section 2 shall vote in favor thereof.

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EXPLANATION

BY THE LEGISLATIVE COUNCIL

OF

A N   A C T

RELATING TO AUTHORIZING THE AMENDMENT OF THE WARWICK CITY CHARTER

REGARDING NEW ELECTED TERM LENGTHS AND TERM LIMITS FOR MAYOR AND

COUNCIL ELECTIVE TERMS COMMENCING JANUARY, 2025

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     This act would approve charter amendments to the Warwick city charter increasing the

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term of office for mayor from two (2) years to four (4) years with a limit of two (2) consecutive

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terms and limiting members of the city council to six (6) consecutive two (2) year terms

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commencing January 1, 2025, subject to voter approval at a general or special election.

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     Sections 2 and 3 of this act would take effect upon passage. Section 1 of this act would

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take effect upon approval of the voters of the city of Warwick at a general election to be held in

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November of 2022.

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