HOUSE DOCKET, NO. 2087        FILED ON: 1/19/2017

HOUSE  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  No. 1113

The Commonwealth of Massachusetts

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PRESENTED BY:

Daniel J. Ryan

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To the Honorable Senate and House of Representatives of the Commonwealth of Massachusetts in General
Court assembled:

The undersigned legislators and/or citizens respectfully petition for the adoption of the accompanying bill:

An Act regarding the terms of office for City Councillors.

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PETITION OF:

HOUSE DOCKET, NO. 2087        FILED ON: 1/19/2017

HOUSE  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  No. 1113

The Commonwealth of Massachusetts

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In the One Hundred and Ninetieth General Court
(2017-2018)

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An Act regarding the terms of office for City Councillors.

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.  Section 32 of chapter 486 of the Acts of 1909, as amended by section 1 of chapter 730 of the acts of 1914, section 1 of chapter 288 of the Acts of 1921, and section 4 of chapter 479 of the Acts of 1924, is hereby amended by striking out said section 32 and replacing it with the following: -- Section 32. Beginning in the year two thousand seventeen, the municipal election in said city shall take place quadrennially in every second odd numbered year on the Tuesday after the first Monday in November.

Section 2.  Section 1 of Chapter 452 of the Acts of 1948 is hereby amended by striking out in the definition of “Regular Municipal Election” the word “biennial”.

Section 3.  Section 12 of chapter 452 of the Acts of 1948, as appearing in section 1 of chapter 376 of the Acts of 1951, is hereby amended by deleting the word “second.”

Section 4  Section 13 of chapter 452 of the Acts of 1948, as appearing in section 1 of chapter 376 of the Acts of 1951, and amended by section 1 of chapter 328 of the Acts of 1996, is hereby amended by striking the first sentence and inserting the following sentence in its place: -- If a vacancy occurs in the office of mayor within forty months after a regular municipal election, or if there is a failure to elect a mayor or a person elected mayor resigns or dies before taking office, the city council shall forthwith adopt an order calling a special municipal election for the purpose of electing at-large a mayor for the unexpired term, which election shall be held on such Tuesday, not less than one hundred and twenty days nor more than one hundred and forty days after the adoption of such order, as the city council shall in such order fix.

Section 5.  Section 14 of chapter 452 of the Acts of 1948, as appearing in section 1 of chapter 376 of the Acts of 1951, and amended by section 1 of chapter 605 of the Acts of 1982, is hereby amended by striking said section 14 and replacing it with the following: -- Section 14. At the next regular municipal election following the adoption of Plan A and at every regular municipal election thereafter, there shall be elected a city council to consist of nine councilors elected from equally populous districts and four councilors elected at-large, each to hold office for the four municipal years following the municipal year in which he or she is elected.

Section 6.  The first sentence of section 53 of chapter 452 of the Acts of 1948, as appearing in section 2 of chapter 376 of the Acts of 1951, is hereby amended by deleting the word “biennial” and inserting in its place the word “quadrennial.”

Section 7 The second sentence of section 53 of chapter 452 of the Acts of 1948, as appearing in section 2 of chapter 376 of the Acts of 1951, is hereby amended by deleting the word “biennial” and inserting in its place the word “quadrennial.”

Section 8.  The provisions of this act shall take effect upon its passage.

Section 9.  If any of the above sections are deemed by a court of competent jurisdiction to be unenforceable the remainder of this act shall remain in full force and effect.