SECTION 1. Notwithstanding the provisions of section 1 of chapter 41 or of any other general or special law to the contrary, there shall be a treasurer-collector for the town of Plympton.  The treasurer-collector shall have all the powers, perform the duties and be subject to the liabilities and penalties now or hereafter conferred and imposed by law on town treasurers and town collectors of taxes.  The treasurer-collector shall be appointed and may be removed, after the opportunity for a hearing, by the board of selectmen of the town.  The board of selectmen may establish an employment contract with the treasurer-collector for salary, fringe benefits and other conditions of employment, including, but not limited to, severance pay, reimbursement for expenses incurred in the performance of the duties of office, liability insurance, and conditions of discipline, termination, dismissal, reappointment, performance standards and leave.

SECTION 2.  Upon the effective date of this act the elected offices of town treasurer and town collector shall be abolished and the terms of the incumbents of such offices terminated.  Provided, however, that notwithstanding the provisions of section 1 of this act, the incumbent elected collector on the effective date of this act shall be the first appointee to the new combined position of treasurer collector, and shall hold such office and perform the duties thereof until the expiration of the term for which the collector was elected, unless such incumbent sooner vacates such office.  After the expiration of the term of the incumbent town collector holding office on the effective date of this act, or a sooner vacating of the office, the board of selectmen shall appoint a treasurer collector in accordance with section 1 of this act.

SECTION 3.  No contracts or liabilities in force on the effective date of this act shall be affected by the abolition of the elected offices of treasurer or collector or the creation of the combined appointed office, and the appointed treasurer collector shall in all respects be the lawful successor of the offices so abolished or consolidated.  All records, property and equipment whatsoever of the offices of the elected treasurer and elected collector shall be assigned to the office of the appointed treasurer collector. 

SECTION 4. This act shall take effect on its passage.