A N A C T
AMENDING THE CITY CHARTER OF THE CITY OF NEWPORT TO HOLD LOCAL ELECTIONS IN EVEN-NUMBERED YEARS
It is enacted by the General Assembly as follows:
SECTION 1. Chapter III of the Newport City Charter entitled "Elections" is hereby amended to read as follows:
SECTION 3-14. General Election Date. - -
On the Tuesday after the second Monday in the month of September of 1953 the qualified electors of the City shall elect seven members of the Council and seven members of the Council and seven members of the School Committee and biennially thereafter on the first Tuesday next after the first Monday in November, 1985, the qualified electors of the City shall elect such members of the Council and the School Committee as are necessary to fill the office of those whose terms of office expire that year. (As Amended by Sec. 2, Chapter 269, P.L. 1984; Sec. 1, Chapter 518, P.L. 1986.)
Municipal elections in the City of Newport shall occur in even-numbered years concurrent with state elections. This section shall not be effective until the November 6, 2001 municipal general election. The terms for the City Council of the City of Newport and the School Committee of the City of Newport shall be for three years allowing the amendment to this City Charter to be effective at the November 2004 election.
SECTION 2. The question of the approval of this act shall be submitted to the electors of the city of Newport at the local election to be held on November 7, 2000. The question shall be:
"Shall municipal elections in Newport occur in even-numbered years, concurrent with State elections?"
SECTION 3. The local board, as defined in section 17-1-2 of the general laws, shall, forthwith after the election, notify the secretary of state of the result of the vote upon the question submitted. The polling place or places shall be designated by the local board and the election shall be held in conformity with the election laws of the state.
SECTION 4. This section and sections 2 and 3 of this act shall take effect upon passage and section 1 of this act shall take effect if and when a majority of the persons voting upon the proposition contained in section 2 have indicated their approval thereof.