2166                                  Municipal Charters

Section 54-15. Referendum.

If, before the expiration of twenty calendar days following passage
of any ordinance, a petition is filed with the clerk-treasurer containing
the signatures of not less than twenty percentum (20%) of the qualified
voters of the Town requesting that the ordinance, or any part thereof, be
submitted to a vote of the qualified voters of the Town for their approval
or disapproval, the council shall have the ordinance, or the part thereof
requested for referendum, submitted to a vote of the qualified voters of
the Town at the next regular Town election or, in the council's discretion,
at a special election occurring before the next regular election. No ordi-
nance, or the part thereof requested for referendum, shall become effective
following the receipt of such petition until and unless approved at the
election by a majority of the qualified voters voting on the question. An
emergency ordinance, or the part thereof requested for referendum, shall
continue in effect for sixty days following receipt of such petition. If the
question of approval or disapproval of any emergency ordinance, or any
part thereof, has not been submitted to the qualified voters within sixty
days following receipt of the petition, the operation of the ordinance, or
the part thereof requested for referendum, shall be suspended until ap-
proved by a majority of the qualified voters voting on the question at
any election. Any ordinance, or part thereof, disapproved by the voters,
shall stand repealed. The provisions of this section shall not apply to any
ordinance, or part thereof, passed under the authority of Section 45, relat-
ing to levying taxes for the payment of indebtedness.

THE MAYOR

Section 54-16. Mayor—Powers and Duties.

(a)   Generally.—The mayor shall see that the ordinances of the
Town are faithfully executed and shall be the chief executive officer and
the head of the administrative branch of the Town government.

(b)    Appointment of employees.—The mayor, with the approval of
the council, shall appoint and employ such officers, department heads, and
employees as he deems necessary to operate the Town government.

(c)    Supervision of financial administration of government.—The
mayor shall have complete supervision over the financial administration
of the Town government. He shall prepare or have prepared annually a
budget and submit it to the council. He shall supervise the administration
of the budget as adopted by the council. He shall supervise the disburse-
ment of all monies and have control over all expenditures to assure that
budget appropriations are not exceeded.

(d)   Other powers and duties.—The mayor shall have such other
powers and perform such other duties as may be prescribed by this
charter or as may be required of him by the council, not inconsistent
with this charter.

GENERAL POWERS

Section 54-17. Powers of Council Enumerated.

(1) General powers.—The council shall have the power to pass all
such ordinances not contrary to the Constitution and laws of the State of
Maryland or this charter as it may deem necessary for the good govern-
ment of the Town; for the protection and preservation of the Town's