FILED ON: 10/19/2026

SENATE  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  No. 3287

The Commonwealth of Massachusetts

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In the One Hundred and Ninety-Fourth General Court
(2025-2026)

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An Act amending the charter of the city known as the town of Randolph.

 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 3 of article 2 of the charter of the city known as the town of Randolph, which is on file in the office of the archivist of the commonwealth, as provided in section 12 of chapter 43B of the General Laws, is hereby amended by striking out the third sentence and inserting in place thereof the following sentence:- No councillor shall hold any compensated appointed town office or employment until 3 months following the date on which the councillor’s council service has terminated.

 SECTION 2.  Said section 3 of said article 2 of said charter is hereby further amended by adding the following sentence:- No person shall simultaneously run for more than 1 elected municipal office in any election.

 SECTION 3. Said article 2 of said charter is hereby amended by striking out section 10 and inserting in place thereof the following section:-

 Section 2-10 Filling of vacancies

 Councillor-at-large and district councillor - Whenever a vacancy occurs in the office of councillor-at-large or in the office of district councillor, the vacancy shall be filled by vote of the remaining members of the town council at a town council meeting. Persons elected by the town council to fill a vacancy shall be eligible and willing to serve and serve only until the next regular election or, if so decided, a special election, at which time the vacancy shall be filled by the voters. After an election, the vacancy shall be filled by the person who receives the highest number of votes for the office in which there is a vacancy and who is not then serving as a member of the town council. The person chosen to fill such vacancy by the town council shall forthwith be certified and sworn into the office of councillor-at-large or district councillor by the town clerk and shall serve for the remainder of the unexpired term until the vacancy is filled via an election. After an election to fill a vacancy under this section, the town clerk shall certify the chosen candidate to the office of councillor-at-large or district councillor to serve for the balance of the then unexpired term, in addition to any regular term for which such person may have been elected. Persons serving as councillors under this section shall not have the words “candidate for re-election” printed against their names on the election ballot.

 SECTION 4.  Subsection (f) of section 1 of article 4 of said charter is hereby amended by striking out the third sentence and inserting in place thereof the following sentence:- No school committee member shall hold compensated appointed office or employment with the town until 3 months following the date on which the person’s service as a member of the school committee has terminated.

 SECTION 5.  Said section 1 of said article 4 of said charter is hereby further amended by adding the following subsection:-

 (h) Filling of vacancies - Whenever a vacancy shall occur on the school committee in a position held by one of the 6 elected members, the town council and the remaining members of the school committee shall meet in joint session and elect a suitable person to fill the vacancy for the remainder of the unexpired term. The council president or the council president’s designee shall preside at the joint session. Persons elected by the joint session to fill a vacancy shall be eligible and willing to serve and shall serve only until the next regular election or, if so decided, a special election, at which time the vacancy shall be filled by the voters. After an election, the vacancy shall be filled by the person who receives the highest number of votes for the office of school committee member and who is not then serving as a member of the school committee. The person chosen to fill such vacancy by the joint session shall forthwith be certified and sworn into the office of member of the school committee by the town clerk and shall serve for the remainder of the unexpired term until the vacancy is filled. After an election, the town clerk shall certify the chosen candidate to the office to serve for the balance of the then unexpired term, in addition to any regular term for which such person may have been elected. Persons serving as members of the school committee under this section shall not have the words “candidate for re-election” printed against their names on the election ballot.

 Whenever a vacancy shall occur on the school committee in the position held by the town council representative to the school committee, the vacancy shall be filled by the same process proscribed to annually appoint the town council representative to the school committee.

 SECTION 6.  Subsection (a) of section 2 of said article 4 of said charter is hereby amended by striking out the words “, so arranged that the term of 1 member shall expire at the first biannual election and the term of 2 members shall expire at the next biennial election and continuing thereafter”.

 SECTION 7.  Said section 2 of said article 4 of said charter is hereby further amended by adding the following 2 subsections:-

 (d) Conflict of interest - Unless such service may otherwise be authorized by this charter, no member of the board of trustees of the Stetson School Fund shall hold any other office or position for which a salary or other emolument is payable from the town treasury.  No person shall simultaneously hold more than 1 elective town office.  No member of the board of trustees of the Stetson School Fund shall hold any compensated appointed office or employment with the town until 3 months following the date on which such member’s service as a member of the board of trustees of the Stetson School Fund has terminated.             

 (e) Filling of vacancies - Whenever a vacancy shall occur on the board of trustees of the Stetson School Fund, the town council and the remaining members of the board of trustees of the Stetson School Fund shall meet in joint session and elect a suitable person to fill the vacancy for the remainder of the unexpired term. The council president or the council president’s designee shall preside at the joint session. Persons elected by the joint session to fill a vacancy must be eligible and willing to serve and shall serve only until the next regular election or, if so decided, a special election, at which time the vacancy shall be filled by the voters. After an election, the vacancy shall be filled by the person who receives the highest number of votes for the office of board of trustees of the Stetson School Fund and who is not then serving as a member of that board. The person chosen to fill such vacancy by the joint session shall forthwith be certified and sworn into the office of member of the board of trustees of the Stetson School Fund by the town clerk and shall serve for the remainder of the unexpired term until the vacancy is filled via an election. After an election, the town clerk shall certify the chosen candidate to the office to serve for the balance of the then unexpired term, in addition to any regular term for which such person may have been elected. Persons serving as members of the board of trustees of the Stetson School Fund under this section shall not be entitled to have the words “candidate for re-election” printed against their names on the election ballot.

 SECTION 8.This act shall take effect upon its passage.