Whenever any municipality shall, pursuant to the authority granted in section 7 of this act, amend its charter only to include an alternative permitted under its plan of government and included in group D. of subsection b. of section 7 of this act, the transitional provisions of this section shall apply.

a. If a municipality in which the mayor is elected by the members of the council shall adopt an amendment to its charter providing for the election of the major directly by the voters of the municipality, the amendment shall take effect for the next election held in the municipality at which municipal officers are elected, in accordance with the provisions of the amended charter. Any mayor currently serving on the date of that election shall, upon and after the date of the commencement of the term of the mayor elected at that election, serve as a member of the council for the remainder of his term but shall not exercise the powers or duties of mayor.

b. If a municipality in which the mayor is elected directly by the voters of the municipality shall adopt an amendment to its charter providing for the election of the mayor by the members of the council, the amendment shall take effect the first day of the next full month after adoption. On that date the members of the council currently serving shall meet and elect one of their number as mayor to serve until the first day of July, or January, as appropriate, next, at which time the members shall elect one of their number to serve a full term as mayor, pursuant to the amended charter. Any mayor serving on the effective date of the amendment shall, on and after that date, serve as a member of the council for the remainder of his term, but shall not exercise the powers or duties of mayor unless elected by the council.

L.1981, c. 465, s. 10, eff. Jan. 9, 1982.