CHARTER ORDINANCE EXEMPTING THE CITY OF TOWANDA, KANSAS, FROM SECTION 15-201 OF THE 1959 SUPPLEMENT OF THE GENERAL STATUTES OF KANSAS, 1949, AND SECTION 15-210 OF THE GENERAL STATUTES OF KANSAS, 1949, AND PROVIDING SUBSTITUTE AND ADDITIONAL PROVISIONS ON THE SAME SUBJECT, PROVIDING FOR THE ELECTION OF MAYOR, POLICE-JUDGE, AND FIVE COUNCILMEN, TIE VOTE, THEIR TERMS OF OFFICE, QUALIFYING, FAILURE TO QUALITY OR ACCEPT OFFICE, FILLING VACANCIES, AND CERTIFICATES OF ITS ELECTIONS.

Section 1. The City of Towanda, Kansas, a mayor-council city of the third class, by the power invested in it by Article 12, Section 5, of the Constitution of the State of Kansas, hereby elects to and exempts itself from and makes inapplicable to it section 15-201 of the 1959 Supplement to the General Statutes of Kansas, 1949, and section 15-210, General Statutes of Kansas, 1949, both sections being part of Chapter 60, Laws of Kansas, 1871, as amended, which apply only to mayor-council cities of the third class and applying to said city, and to provide substitute and additional provisions as hereinafter provided.

Section 2. A regular city election shall be held on the first Tuesday in April of each odd-numbered year. On the first Tuesday in April, 1963, an election shall be held for a mayor, a police judge, and five councilmen. The mayor first elected shall hold office for two years and until his successor is elected and qualified. At the election in 1965 and each four years thereafter, the mayor shall be elected to hold office for four years and until his successor is elected and qualified. At the election in 1963, two councilmen shall be elected to hold office for two years, and the police judge and three councilmen shall be elected to hold office for four years. At the election of 1963, the candidates for councilmen receiving the highest, second highest, and third highest number of votes shall be elected for four years, and the candidates receiving the fourth and fifth highest number of votes shall be elected for two years. Whenever a tie shall occur in the vote of any of the aforesaid officers, the results shall be decided by lot by the board of canvassers. The city clerk shall, within three days after the canvass of the returns and determination by the board of canvassers of the persons elected, deliver to each such person a certificate of election, signed by him with the seal of the city, and such certificate shall constitute notice of election. The terms of the officers shall begin at the first regular meeting of the council in May following their election in April, and they shall qualify at any time before or at the beginning of said meeting. If any person elected to the office of police judge or councilman does not qualify within the required time, he shall be deemed to have refused to accept the office and a vacancy shall exist thereupon the mayor shall with the consent of a majority of the remaining councilmen, appoint a suitable elector of the city to fill the vacancy for the term to which the refusing person was elected. In case of a vacancy in the office of councilman occurring by reason of resignation, death, or removal from office or from the city, the mayor, by and with the consent of a majority of the remaining councilmen, shall appoint some suitable elector of the city to fill the vacancy until the next election for that office. In case of a vacancy in the office of mayor occurring by reason of resignation, death, removal from office or from the city, the president of the council shall become mayor until the next regular election for that office, and a vacancy shall occur in the office of the councilman becoming mayor.

(10-3-1961; Amended by C.O. No. 2)