09-12-1988 - Agenda Packet City Council - regular meeting

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4'-r'q0111PtVJr- J ARTICLE X11 SPECIAL LEGiSLATION; LOCAL GOVERNMENT Section 1. Prohibition of special legisiation; particular subjects. In all cases when a general law can be made applicable, a special law shall not be enacted except as provided in section 2. Whether a general law could have been made applicable in any case shall be judicially determined without regard to any legislative assertion on that subject. The legislature shall pass no local or special law authorizing the laying out. opening, altering, vacating or maintaining of roads, highways, streets or alleys: remit- ting fines, penalties or forfeitures; changing the names of persons, places. lakes or rivers; authorizing the adoption or legitimation of children, changing the law of descent or succession: conferring rights on minors; declaring any named person of age giving effect to informal or invalid wills or deeds, or affecting the estates of minors or persons under disability; granting divorces; exempting property from taxati< n or regulating th- rate of interest on money; creating private corporations, or amending, renewing, or extending the charters thereof; granting to any private corporatim, association, or individual any special of ^x_usi�; privilege, immunity or franchise whatever or authorizing public taxation for a private purpose. The iniobitions of local or special laws in this sec-i, i shall not prevent the passage of general laws on any of the subjects enumerated. Sec. 2. SpeciLl laws; local government. Every law whim upon its effective date applies to a single local government unit of to a group of such units in a single county or a number of contiguous counties is a special law ar -hsll name the unit or, in the latter case, the counties to which it applies. The Ic re may er.act special laws relating to local government units, but a special laA .,ess otherwise provided by general law, shall become effective only after its approval by the affected unit expressed through the voters or the governing body and by such majority as the legislature may direct. Any special law may be modified or superseded by a later home rule charter or amendment applicable to the same local government unit, but this does not prevent the adoption of subsequent laws on the same subject. The legislature may repeal any existing special or local law, but shall not amend, extend or r todify any of the same except as provided in this section. Sec. 3. Local government; legislation affecting. The legislature -nay provide by law fcr the=rcation, organization, administration, consolidation, division and dissolu- tion of local government units and their functions, for the change of boundaries thereof, for their elective and appointive officers including qualifications ''or office and for the transfer of county seats. A county boundary may not be changed or county scat transferred until approved in each county affected by a majority of the voters voting on the question. Sec. 4. Home rule chart+;. Any local government unit when authorized by law may adopt a home rule charter for its government. A charter shall become effective if approved by such majority of the voters of the local government unit as the legislature prescribes by general law. If a charter provides for the consolidation or separation of a city and a county, in whole or in part, it shall not be effective without approval of the voters both in the city and in the remainder of the county by the majority required by law. Sec. 5. Charter commissions. The legislature shall provide i y law for charter commissions. Notwithstanding any ether constitutionai limitations the legislature may require that commission members be freeholder. provide for their appointment by judges of the district court, and permit anv member to hold any other el-_ct, a or appointive office other than judicial. Home rule charter amendments maybe proposed by a charter commission or by a petition of five percent of the voters of the local go,6ernment unit as determined by law and shall not become effective until approved by the voters by the majority required by caw Amendments may be proVvsed and adopted in any other manner provided by law A local government unit may repeal its home rule charter and adopt a statutory form of government or a new charier upon the tame majority vote is is required by law for the adoption of a k harter in the 6m, instance