15-1-116. Ordinances; publication required; exception; attestation; recodification or revision.

(a) Every ordinance before becoming effective shall be published at least once in a newspaper of general circulation, which maintains a physical office at which advertisements are accepted and which is open to the public during regularly set business hours within the boundaries of the city or town. The newspaper shall publish the ordinance within nine (9) days from the date of receipt. If there is no such newspaper, the ordinance shall be posted for at least ten (10) days in the city clerk's office and in such other places as the governing body determines. Emergency ordinances are effective upon proclamation of the mayor, and as soon thereafter as is practicable they shall be published and posted in the manner required of other ordinances.

(b) Every ordinance, within a reasonable time after passage, shall be signed by the mayor, attested by the clerk and recorded in a book kept for that purpose. The attestation of the clerk shall show that the ordinance was duly published and posted.

(c) A recodification or revision of ordinances shall be published by title only together with a brief summary of the recodification or revision, in the manner provided in subsection (a) of this section for newspaper publication, provided that a copy of the recodification or revision shall be available to the public at all reasonable hours in the office of the city or town clerk.

(d) Ordinances adopted by the governing bodies of all incorporated cities and towns prior to the effective date of this act, which were posted for at least ten (10) days in the city clerk's office and in such other places as the governing body determined, are deemed to be in compliance with the requirements of this section.