HOUSE DOCKET, NO. 3954        FILED ON: 11/15/2013

HOUSE  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  No. 3768

The Commonwealth of Massachusetts

_________________

November 15, 2013

To the Honorable Senate and House of Representatives,

Pursuant to the provisions of Article II, Section 8, Paragraph 1, Clause (2) of the Amendments to the Constitution, as amended by Article LXXXIX, I am filing for your consideration the attached legislation entitled, “An Act Validating the Charter Amendments Approved at the May 15, 2006 Annual Town Meeting Held in the Town of Swampscott.” 

Representative Ehrlich, Senator McGee, and the Swampscott Board of Selectmen have requested that I file this special legislation on behalf of the Town.  The purpose of the legislation is to validate the charter amendments approved at the Annual Town Meeting held on May 15, 2006, and voted on at the subsequent Town election to the same extent as if the proposed charter amendments had been submitted to the Attorney General and Department of Housing and Community Development immediately after the Town Meeting as required by G.L. c. 43B, § 10.  The legislation is necessary because absent legislation validating the results of the Meeting the charter amendments may be subject to challenge. 

I urge your early and favorable consideration of this bill.

Respectfully submitted

Deval L. Patrick,

Governor

HOUSE  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  No. 3768

The Commonwealth of Massachusetts

_______________

In the Year Two Thousand Thirteen

_______________

An Act validating certain actions taken at the annual town meeting held in the town of Swampscott.

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 sections 10 and 11 of chapter 43B of the General Laws, or of any other general or special law to the contrary, the charter amendments approved by said May 15, 2006 Annual Town Meeting, and all actions taken pursuant thereto, are hereby ratified, validated and confirmed to the same extent as if said amendments were submitted to the attorney general and department of housing and community development immediately after said meeting and approved by the voters of said town in full compliance with law.

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