Summary of SB 2713 (Session 114) – Sardis Charter Amendments
Proposed legislation to amend Chapter 833 of the Private Acts of 1949 (as amended) governing the Town of Sardis.
Purpose and Intent
- Modernize Sardis’ municipal charter by removing archaic references and aligning governance with more typical, ordinance-based procedures.
- Extend elected terms, update residency and voting provisions, and authorize the board to set salaries, meeting dates, and personnel actions by ordinance rather than charter text.
- Facilitate local control through majority-drafted ordinances while preserving essential statutory safeguards.
Key Provisions and Changes
1) Structure and Title
- The governing body remains the Mayor and five Aldermen.
- Clear designation: Mayor and five Aldermen, all required to be at least 21 years old with at least one year of residency in Sardis.
2) Salaries and pay
- Salary of the Mayor and Aldermen to be set by ordinance by the Mayor and Board of Aldermen (instead of per charter provisions).
- Salaries may not be altered prior to the end of the term for which a person was elected (protections against mid-term salary changes).
3) Organization and officers
- Immediately after taking office, the Mayor and Aldermen must organize, elect a Recorder, and appoint other necessary officers by majority vote of the Aldermen.
- The Mayor has a tie-breaking vote in meetings; otherwise, the Mayor does not cast a vote.
4) Employment authority
- The Board has power to fix salaries for all officials they employ and may discharge any official with or without cause if deemed in the town’s best interest.
- The Board also has authority to appoint, promote, transfer, demote, suspend, and remove employees, with potential delegation as the Board sees fit.
- The Recorder’s duties, term, and bonding requirements are specified (bond of not less than $2,000 required; bond filed with the Mayor).
5) Meetings and meeting dates
- The Board is required to meet at least monthly as established by ordinance.
- The Act authorizes the Board to set meeting dates by ordinance (rather than being tied to charter language).
6) Elections and voting eligibility
- The first election for Mayor and five Aldermen is set for August 2026, with subsequent quadrennial elections every four years.
- All legally qualified voters within Sardis are entitled to vote in these elections.
- The Act also allows (as a transitional measure) non-resident property owners within Sardis (where property is inside the corporate limits and taxed at at least $100) to vote, subject to a cap: no more than two voters per single tract of real estate, regardless of the number of property owners.
- The new elected officials qualify on the first Monday in September following the election.
7) General powers and authority
- Sardis retains broad powers to exercise any general legal powers necessary to promote safety, health, order, welfare, etc., with implied powers continuing to apply.
8) Effective date and approval
- The bill requires approval by two-thirds of Sardis’ legislative body to become law.
- Effective upon becoming law for some provisions; the local charter amendments take effect following the required local approval process.
Who Is Affected
- The Town of Sardis governance (Mayor, five Aldermen, Recorder, and town staff).
- Residents and property owners within Sardis (including eligible voters and, to a limited extent, certain non-resident property owners voting in local elections).
- Local election authorities (to administer the first and subsequent elections under the new framework).
Procedural and Timeline Aspects
- First election for Mayor and Aldermen projected for August 2026, with terms to follow for four years.
- Ongoing requirement to hold monthly meetings and to organize the town’s offices immediately after swearing in.
- The bill requires local legislative approval by a two-thirds vote to take effect.
Overall, SB 2713 would modernize Sardis’ charter by shifting several key authorities (salary setting, meeting scheduling, and personnel action) to be governed by ordinance, extend elected terms to four years, and adjust residency and voting rules for elections, while maintaining core municipal powers.
