SENATE DOCKET, NO. 3145        FILED ON: 12/29/2020

SENATE  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  No. 2993

The Commonwealth of Massachusetts

_________________

PRESENTED BY:

Barry R. Finegold

_________________

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 relative to the Office of the Mayor in the city of Lawrence.

_______________

PETITION OF:

SENATE DOCKET, NO. 3145        FILED ON: 12/29/2020

SENATE  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  No. 2993

The Commonwealth of Massachusetts

_______________

In the One Hundred and Ninety-First General Court
(2019-2020)

_______________

An Act relative to the Office of the Mayor in the city of Lawrence.

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 paragraph (a) of subsection 11 of Section 4 of Chapter 425 of the Acts of 1983, or any general or special law to the contrary, if a vacancy in the office of the mayor occurs in the year two thousand and twenty-one, the president of the city council shall become acting mayor until the mayor elected in the regularly scheduled 2021 municipal election is provided the oath of office immediately upon certification of that election. Upon the qualification of the president of the city council as acting mayor, his office of councilor shall be appointed as provided for by the City of Lawrence City Charter, paragraph (a) or (b) of subsection 9 of Section 3.

The president of the city council as acting mayor shall have all the powers of the mayor and shall serve for the balance of the then unexpired term of the mayor.

The council vice president, as the successor of the council president shall not receive any added financial benefit for the remainder of this term.

The mayoral candidate elected in the regularly scheduled 2021 municipal election will be immediately seated, administered the oath of office, and assume all the powers of mayor immediately upon the proper certification by the board of registrars, and serve for the balance of the then unexpired term of mayor.

The acting mayor, provided for by this petition, will resume their city council role for the remaining term of the current city council term. The appointed city councilor filling the president’s seat as provided by the City of Lawrence City Charter, paragraph (a) /or (b) of subsection 9 of Section 3 shall immediately be relieved of their service once the oath of office is administered to the elected mayor; and the former acting mayor resumes his/her elected duties as a city councilor, resumes the role of President; and at which time the acting city council president therefore resumes his/her role as the Vice President.

SECTION 2. It is hereby provided that the General Court may reasonably vary the form and substance of the required legislation within the scope of the general public objectives of the petition. This Act shall take effect upon its passage.