SECTION 1. Chapter 43B of the General Laws is hereby amended by striking out section 8(b), as appearing in the 2008 Official Edition, and inserting in place thereof the following section:-

(b) Each city or town shall provide its charter commission, free of charge, with suitable office space and with reasonable access to other facilities for holding public hearings, may contribute clerical and other assistance to such commission, and shall permit it to consult with and obtain advice and information from city or town officers and employees during ordinary working hours. Within twenty days after the election of a charter commission, the city or town treasurer shall credit to the account of the charter commission, with or without appropriation, the sum of two thousand dollars in a town of less than twelve thousand inhabitants, the sum of five thousand dollars in a city or town of twelve thousand or more but less than fifty thousand inhabitants, the sum of seven thousand five hundred dollars in a city or town of fifty thousand or more but less than one hundred thousand inhabitants and the sum of ten thousand dollars in any other city or town. The city or town treasurer shall also credit to the account of the charter commission, with or without appropriation, amounts equal to fulfill the requirements of Section 9(b) and Section 11. Such sums shall be provided by taxation in the manner set forth in section twenty-three of chapter fifty-nine if payment is made prior to the fixing of the annual tax rate, and otherwise shall be provided by transfer by the treasurer from available funds or by borrowing in the manner and for the period provided in the case of final judgments under clause (11) of section seven of chapter forty-four, and subject to all other applicable provisions of said chapter forty-four except that such borrowing may be authorized by the city treasurer and city manager, if any, otherwise the mayor of the city and by the town treasurer and board of selectmen of a town. A city or town may appropriate such additional funds for its charter commission as is deemed necessary.  Any unexpended funds shall be returned to the city or town within fourteen days of the charter commission’s submission to the voters.