Sec. 7-304. Participation of municipalities.
Sec. 7-304. Participation of municipalities. (a) Any municipality may by ordinance adopt an average work week of fifty-six hours for permanent paid fire personnel
as provided in sections 7-303 to 7-306, inclusive.
(b) The legislative body of such municipality may, by ordinance, or shall, upon
petition of 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 in the fire department of such municipality 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 the 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 therein. 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 fifty-six hours for permanent paid fire personnel and that such election or meeting is called under the provisions of this section. The vote on such question shall be
taken by a "YES" and "NO" vote on the voting machine, and the voting machine ballot
label, which shall bear the words "Shall a fifty-six hour work week for permanent paid
fire personnel be adopted?", shall be provided 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 7-303 to 7-306, inclusive, said sections shall take effect as to such municipality
no later than ninety days thereafter, provided, when the fiscal year of any such municipality begins within ninety days thereafter, the effective date for such municipality shall
be no later than the first day of the fiscal year next following the expiration of the ninety-day period.
(1949, S. 427d; 1957, P.A. 13, S. 49; February, 1965, P.A. 574, S. 4; P.A. 86-170, S. 6, 13.)
History: 1965 act deleted obsolete reference to Sec. 7-307, substituting Sec. 7-306; P.A. 86-170 required that designation
on ballot label be in form of question and substituted term "fire personnel" for "firemen".
Does not permit adoption of average work week of fewer than fifty-six hours. 149 C. 528.