§ 4. Establishment of Town Government.

(a)

The municipal government of the Town of Thunderbolt shall be vested in a mayor and six aldermen, known as the 'town council.' On the third Tuesday in October, 1974, and on that same date biennially thereafter, there shall be held an election at which a mayor and six aldermen shall be elected for the Town of Thunderbolt. Those candidates elected to office in the 1974 election shall not take office until the expiration of the terms of office of the incumbent officers and, upon taking office, they shall serve until November 2, 1976, and until their successors are duly elected and qualified. Thereafter, all successors to the municipal offices of the Town of Thunderbolt shall take office on the second Tuesday following their election and shall serve for a term of office of two years and until their successors are duly elected and qualified.

(b)

All elections held for the purpose of filling municipal offices in the Town of Thunderbolt shall be nonpartisan, and no political party shall conduct primaries for the purpose of nominating candidates for such municipal elections.

(c)

To be eligible for election and to hold at any time the office of mayor or alderman, a person shall be at least 18 years of age, shall have resided in the Town of Thunderbolt for a period of one year immediately preceding the election, and shall be duly registered and qualified to vote in municipal elections of the town and of the State of Georgia. Qualification of candidates for municipal office shall begin at 9:00 A.M. on the forty-fifth day before the general election and shall close at 5:00 P.M. on the thirtieth day before the general election, and shall begin at 9:00 A.M. on the thirtieth day before a special election and close at 5:00 P.M. on the tenth day before such special election. Any person serving in office may be a candidate to succeed himself. Candidates for the six offices of alderman shall not designate any post, but all such candidates shall run for the 'office of alderman.'

(d)

A qualification fee for the office of mayor or alderman shall be paid by each candidate who desires to qualify for said office, said fees being as follows:

(1)

For the office of mayor: Three percent of salary.

(2)

For the office of alderman: Three percent of salary.

Said fees shall be paid to the town and used by the mayor and aldermen to defray election expenses.

(e)

Each elector of the town shall be entitled to vote for one candidate for mayor and six candidates for alderman. The candidate receiving the highest number of votes for mayor shall be elected mayor. The six candidates receiving the highest number of votes cast for the office of alderman shall be elected as the six aldermen of the Town of Thunderbolt.

(f)

The mayor and aldermen shall be installed in office by taking and subscribing the following oath:

I do solemnly swear that I will faithfully discharge the duties devolved upon me as mayor or alderman, as the case may be, of the Town of Thunderbolt; that I will faithfully execute and enforce the laws of said town to the best of my ability, skill, and knowledge; and that I will do all in my power to promote the general welfare of the inhabitants of said town and common interest thereof.

(g)

The procedures and requirements for election of all elected officials of the Town of Thunderbolt as to special or general elections shall be in conformity with the provisions of Chapter 3 of Title 21 of the Official Code of Georgia Annotated, the Georgia Municipal Election Code.

(1987 Ga. Laws (Act No. 221), page 4213, § 1)