984                              LAWS OF MARYLAND                      [CH. 572

by the mayor shall be returned with a message stating the reasons
for his disapproval. Any disapproved ordinance shall not become a
law unless subsequently passed by a favorable vote of four-fifths of
the whole council within thirty-five calendar days from the time
of the return of the ordinance. If the mayor fails to return any
ordinance within six days of its delivery [as aforesaid], it shall be
deemed to be approved by the mayor and shall become law in the
same manner as an ordinance signed by him.

16.    Referendum.

If, before the expiration of twenty calendar days following ap-
proval of any ordinance by the mayor or passage of any ordinance
over the mayor's veto, a petition is filed with the clerk-treasurer
containing the signatures of not less than twenty per centum (20%)
of the qualified voters of the town and 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 occur-
ring before the next regular election. No ordinance, 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 con-
tinue 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, [then] the opera-
tion of the ordinance, or the part thereof requested for referendum,
shall be suspended until approved 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part thereof, disapproved by the voters, shall stand repealed.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 62, levying property
taxes for the payment of indebtedness, but the provisions of this
section shall apply to any ordinance, or any part thereof, levying
special assessment charges under the provisions of Sections 92 and
93. The provisions of this section shall be self-executing, but the
council may adopt ordinances in furtherance of these provisions and
not in conflict with them.

17.    File of Ordinances.

Ordinances shall be permanently filed by the clerk-treasurer and
shall be kept available for public inspection.

The Mayor

18.    Selection and term.

The mayor shall be elected as hereinafter provided and shall hold
office for a term of four years or until his successor is elected and
qualified. The newly elected mayor shall take office on the second
Monday following his election. The mayor holding office at the time