SPONSOR:

Rep. Hall-Long & Sen. Vaughn

HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

143rd GENERAL ASSEMBLY

HOUSE BILL NO. 487

AN ACT TO AMEND THE CHARTER OF THE TOWN OF TOWNSEND, CHAPTER 241, VOLUME 74, LAWS OF DELAWARE, AS AMENDED, TO INCREASE THE LENGTH OF RESIDENCY FROM 90 DAYS TO ONE YEAR TO QUALIFY TO HOLD OFFICE.

BE IT ENACTED BY THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF DELAWARE (Two-thirds of all members elected to each house thereof concurring therein):

Section 1. Amend Section 503 of Chapter 241, Volume 74, Laws of Delaware, as amended, by deleting existing Section 503 and substituting in lieu thereof a new Section 503 to read as follows:

“Section 503. Qualifications for Office. No person shall be eligible to hold office as Mayor or Councilperson except a person who at the time of filing as a candidate is a citizen of the United States, has attained the age of eighteen years, has maintained legal residency within the Town boundaries for a minimum of twelve (12) consecutive months immediately preceding the filing of candidacy, and has registered to run for election office. Each person seeking to hold office must first obtain the signatures of ten registered voters within the Town of Townsend in the form of a petition and file such petition with the election official for the Town no later than thirty (30) days immediately preceding the election.”

SYNOPSIS

This Bill amends the Town Charter of the Town of Townsend increasing minimum residency requirement from 90 days to 12 consecutive months due to a typographical error in the amendment to the Charter in 2004.