Delaware General Assembly


CHAPTER 313

BLADES

AN ACT TO AMEND CHAPTER 155, VOL. 28, LAWS OF DELAWARE, 1935, AS AMENDED, ENTITLED "AN ACT TO INCORPORATE THE TOWN OF BLADES," WITH REFERENCE TO THE ELECTION, REMOVAL AND SALARY OF OFFICERS.

Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the State of Delaware in General Assembly met (two-thirds of all the Members elected to each Branch thereof concurring therein):

Section 1. That Chapter 155, Volume 28, Laws of Delaware, be amended by striking out all of Section 2 of said Chapter, and inserting in lieu thereof, the following Section to be known as Section 2:

Section 2. There shall be a Council of the Town of Blades to be composed of five members, one of whom shall be chosen by said Council to be President of said Council for the term of one year, or until his successor shall be elected. The Councilmen shall serve for two years or until their successors shall be elected and qualified. There shall also be elected in the said Town at the first annual election, a Mayor to serve for a term of two years, or until his successor shall be elected and qualified. The Town election shall be held on the first Monday in March of each year, and at the first Town election, or on the first Monday of March, 1951, there shall be three Councilmen elected for a term of two years and two Councilmen elected for a term of one year, and after that, on the first Monday in March of each year, the Councilmen whose terms are expiring, shall have their places filled for a period of two years. The election shall be held at some place in the Town of Blades, to be designated by the present Town Council, at which said election a Mayor shall be elected by the qualified electors of the said Town of Blades for a term of two years, or until his successor shall be elected and qualified. And thereafter, on the first Monday in March of each and every year, the Mayor and members of the Council whose terms are expiring, shall have their offices filled at that election and their successors shall be elected for the term of two years. The Mayor and Assessor and each of said Councilmen, in order to qualify, must have taxes paid up to date and must have been a property owner for two years prior to the election, and must have been residents of the Town for three years, and each shall be at least twenty-five years of age, but any married man, resident of said Town, whose wife is a freeholder therein, may be elected Mayor or Councilman although he may not be the owner in his own right of any real estate within said Town. Any Councilman or Mayor may be removed from office by a majority vote of the remaining Councilmen and Mayor (in case of a Council member) or a quorum, at any regular or special meeting. Cause of removal shall be that an official is delinquent in his taxes, or has been absent from three consecutive regular meetings of the said Town Council without good and sufficient cause, or for any other acceptable reason. The remainder of the term of any Councilman removed from office in this manner, shall be filled by appointment of the Mayor and confirmed by a majority vote of the Council, or a quorum thereof, at any regular or special meeting. The remaining term of a Mayor removed from office in the above manner, shall be filled by a new Mayor elected by the people at a special election called by the members of the Council.

Any person, in order to be voted for as a member of the Council or for Mayor, shall file his name with the Secretary of the Council at least twenty days before the election, and the Secretary shall post in a public place, the names of such candidates at least ten days before the election. At such Town election, any citizen of the Town, twenty-one years of age or older, and being a resident of the Town, shall be entitled to vote, provided he has paid his or her taxes at least thirty days prior to said election.

The Town Council shall appoint a Secretary, Treasurer and Town Clerk, either from its own ranks or from the citizens of the Town, having the same qualifications as are necessary to run for Council. The same person may hold more than one of these offices simultaneously if the Council so desires. If the positions are filled by other citizens of the Town, then these officers shall have no vote in Council meetings.

The Mayor and Councilmen shall be paid a salary of Five Dollars ($5.00) for each meeting of the Town Council that they attend, and in no case shall any member receive more than Seventy-five Dollars ($75.00) annually. Regular meetings shall be held on the second Wednesday of each month. Special meetings, whenever required, shall be called by the Secretary, each person receiving at least two days' notice of such meeting. The Mayor and Councilmen shall be reimbursed for miscellaneous expenses incurred in conducting their offices. The Secretary and Treasurer of the Town shall each be paid Seven Dollars ($7.00) per meeting, but the salary of neither shall exceed One Hundred Fifteen Dollars ($115.00) annually. Any person holding more than one office shall receive in total payments, not more than Eight Dollars ($8.00) per meeting, or a total not to exceed One Hundred and Forty Dollars ($140.00) in any one year.

Approved June 5, 1951.