Sec. 7-292. Adoption of forty-hour week for policemen.

      Sec. 7-292. Adoption of forty-hour week for policemen. (a) Any municipality may, by ordinance, adopt an average work week of forty hours for permanent paid policemen as provided in sections 7-293 and 7-294 and this section.

      (b) The legislative body of such municipality may, by ordinance, or shall, upon petition of the electors of such municipality in number not less than five per cent of the total number of electors on the last-completed registry list, submit the question of adopting the provisions of said sections to a vote of the electors thereof at the next general election or at a special election or meeting called for such purpose. Any such petition shall contain the ordinance to be voted upon by the electors. Such election or meeting shall be called and held, and the vote on such question canvassed and the result determined and certified, as nearly as may be in accordance with the provisions of the laws governing the election of civil officers in such municipality. The notice or warning for such election or meeting shall state that a purpose of such election or meeting is to ascertain whether or not such municipality shall adopt an average work week of forty hours for permanent paid policemen and that such election or meeting is called under the provisions of this section. The vote on such question shall be by voting machine, and the voting machine ballot label, which shall bear the words "For a forty-hour week for policemen" and "Against a forty-hour week for policemen", shall be provided for use in accordance with the provisions of section 9-250. If, upon the official determination of the result of such vote, it appears that a majority of those voting on the question are in favor of the adoption of the provisions of sections 7-293 and 7-294 and this section, said sections shall take effect as to such municipality no later than ninety days thereafter, provided, where the fiscal year of any such municipality begins within ninety days thereafter, the effective date of said sections for such municipality shall not be later than the first day of the fiscal year next following the expiration of the ninety-day period.

      (1951, S. 431d; 1957, P.A. 13, S. 50.)