Ala. Code § 11-43A-3.1
Any law to the contrary notwithstanding, an election shall be held in every Class 6 municipality wherein the municipal governing body has elected to have a nine-member council, at the same time that the election for members of the Alabama legislature is held in 1983; and the question submitted at such election shall be: "shall the council-manager form of government, provided in the Council-Manager Act of 1982, with the change in the form of government of such municipality to become operative on the first Monday in October 1986, be adopted for the municipality of _____?" The election shall be held and in all things governed as nearly as possible by the provisions regulating elections on the question the adoption of the council-manager form of government provided in the Council-Manager Act of 1982, except that no petition of any of the qualified voters of the municipality need be filed and the mayor of any city in which such election is hereby required shall within 10 days after July 26, 1983, by proclamation, submit the question of the adoption of the council-manager plan at a special election to be held at the same time as the election held in 1983 for members of the Alabama legislature. Should the election not be called by proclamation of the mayor within said 10-day period, the judge of probate shall call such election by order.
Ala. Code § 11-43A-3.1 (1975)