Session Laws

Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives in General Court assembled, and by the authority of the same, as follows:

SECTION 1. Notwithstanding the provisions of any general or special law to the contrary, in the year nineteen hundred and ninety-five and at the biennial city election in every second year thereafter, there shall be elected seven members to the planning board of the city of Taunton. All such members shall be elected for a term of two years. If a member of the planning board resigns or if there is a vacancy in said planning board by reason of death, imprisonment or any other cause, the municipal council shall, within fifteen days thereafter, fill such vacancy by electing the person who, at the last biennial election, received the next highest vote to the last of the seven persons elected thereat, to said planning board, and, on his refusal to serve, the person who received the next highest vote at said election and, on his refusal to serve, other persons who were candidates for membership on said planning board at said election and were defeated shall be elected to fill such vacancy in the order of the respective number of votes received by each such candidate at said election. If there is no person qualified as provided herein who is willing to serve or if there are an insufficient number of candidates participating in the biennial election to fill the seven planning board positions, a registered voter of the city duly qualified to vote for the office in which there is a vacancy shall be so elected. The person so elected shall serve for the remainder of the unexpired term of the person he succeeds if he is elected to fill a vacancy created by resignation, death, imprisonment or other cause, or for a term of two years if he is elected to fill a vacancy created by lack of candidate participation in the most recent biennial election.

SECTION 2. This act shall take effect upon its passage.