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An Act To Clarify Statutes Related to Establishing a Municipal Charter Commission
Be it enacted by the People of the State of Maine as follows:
Sec. 1. 30-A MRSA §2102, sub-§3, ¶B, as enacted by PL 1987, c. 737, Pt. A, §2 and Pt. C, §106 and amended by PL 1989, c. 6; c. 9, §2; and c. 104, Pt. C, §§8 and 10, is further amended to read:
 
B. The municipal clerk shall prepare the petition forms at the municipality's expense. The petition forms shallmust be printed on paper of uniform size and may consist of as many individual sheets as are reasonably necessary.
 
(1) Petition forms shallmust carry the following legend in bold lettering at the top of the face of each form.
"Municipality of ...."
 
In the instance of preparing a new charter, the lettering at the top of the form must read: "Each of the undersigned voters respectfully requests the municipal officers to establish a Charter Commission for the purpose of revising the Municipal Charter or preparing a New Municipal Charter."
 
In the instance of revising a charter, the lettering at the top of the form must read: "Each of the undersigned voters respectfully requests the municipal officers to establish a Charter Commission for the purpose of revising the Municipal Charter."
 
Each signature to a petition must be in ink or other indelible instrument and must be followed by the residence of the voter with street and number, if any. NoA petition may not contain any party or political designation.
 
(2) The clerk shall note the date of each petition form issued. All petitions must be filed within 120 days of the date of issue or they are void.
 
(3) Each petition form shallmust have printed on its back an affidavit to be executed by the circulator, stating:
 
(a) That the circulator personally circulated the form;
 
(b) The number of signatures on the form;
 
(c) That all the signatures were signed in the circulator's presence;
 
(d) That the circulator believes them to be genuine signatures of the persons whose names they purport to be;
 
(e) That each signer has signed no more than one petition; and
 
(f) That each signer had an opportunity to read the petition before signing.
Sec. 2. 30-A MRSA §2102, sub-§5, ¶A, as enacted by PL 1987, c. 737, Pt. A, §2 and Pt. C, §106 and amended by PL 1989, c. 6; c. 9, §2; and c. 104, Pt. C, §§8 and 10, is further amended to read:
 
A. The question to be submitted to the voters shallmust be in substance as follows:
 
In the instance of establishing a new charter, the question must read: "Shall a Charter Commission be established for the purpose of establishing a New Municipal Charter?"
 
In the instance of revising a charter, the question must read: "Shall a Charter Commission be established for the purpose of revising the Municipal Charter?"
 
Effective 90 days following adjournment of the 129th Legislature, First Regular Session, unless otherwise indicated.