2236                               Municipal Charters

ordinance disapproved by the mayor shall be returned with a message stat-
ing 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.

13.   REFERENDUM

If, before the expiration of twenty calendar days following approval
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 ap-
proval 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 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 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, then the operation of the
ordinance, or the part thereof requested for referendum, shall be sus-
pended 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the voters, shall stand repealed.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
Paragraph 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 Para-
graphs 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.

14.   FILE OF ORDINANCES

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

THE MAYOR

15.   SELECTION AND TERM OF MAYOR

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 this charter becomes
effective shall continue to hold office for the term for which he was elected
and until his successor takes office under the provisions of this charter.