Upon petition signed by five percent of the qualified electors of the municipality, the presiding officer of the governing body of the municipality shall by proclamation submit to the qualified electors of the municipality the question of adopting a charter for the municipality under the Municipal Charter Act, at a special election to be held at a specified time, and within sixty days after the charter provided for in Section 3-15-5 NMSA 1978 has been prepared and filed with the clerk of the municipality. If the charter is not adopted at the special election, the question of adopting a charter under the Municipal Charter Act shall not be resubmitted to the voters of the municipality for two years thereafter. No elector who has signed the petition shall be permitted to withdraw his name after the petition has been filed with the clerk of the municipality except where his signature has been procured by fraud.
History: 1953 Comp., § 14-14-2, enacted by Laws 1965, ch. 300; 1971, ch. 118, § 4.
ANNOTATIONSCross references. — For examinations of signatures, purging and judicial review of petitions, see 3-1-5 NMSA 1978.
Necessary condition for submission of charter to electorate. — Approval of a proposed charter by the governing body of the municipality is a necessary condition to submitting the proposed charter to the electorate for adoption. 1979 Op. Att'y Gen. No. 79-24.