AN ACT PROVIDING FOR THE ELECTION OF CITY COUNCILORS AND SCOOL COMMITTEE PERSONS WITHIN THE CITY OF SPRINGFIELD.
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 chapter 43 of the General Laws or any other general or special law or rule, regulation or ordinance to the contrary, there shall be 13 city councilors who shall constitute the city council of the city of Springfield, with all the rights, powers and duties vested in and exercised by the council.
Each member shall be elected for a term of 2 years; 5 councilors shall be elected at large by the voters of the city; 1 councilor shall be elected from each of the 8 wards within the city of Springfield, as defined in the ordinances of the city. An individual seeking election as a councilor for a ward shall be a resident of that ward and shall have been a resident of that ward for a period of at least 1 year before the deadline for submission of the individual’s nomination papers to the city. The individual’s nomination papers shall be signed in the aggregate by not less than 100 registered voters of the ward from which the individual seeks to be elected as councilor. An individual seeking election as a councilor at large shall have been a resident of the city for a period of at least 1 year before the deadline for submission of the individual’s nomination papers to the city.
SECTION 2. Notwithstanding chapter 43 of the General Laws or any other general or special law or rule, regulation or ordinance to the contrary, the school committee shall consist of 7 members who shall constitute the school committee of the city of Springfield, with all the rights, powers and duties vested in and exercised by the school committee.
The school committee shall consist of the mayor, who shall be the chairman; 2 members elected at large by the voters of the city; and 1 each elected from the following districts comprised of combined wards within the city of Springfield as defined in the ordinances of the city: wards 1 and 3, wards 4 and 5, wards 6 and 7, and wards 2 and 8. An individual seeking election as a school committee member for a district comprised of combined wards shall be a resident within the district from which the individual seeks to be elected, and shall have been a resident of the district for a period of at least 1 year before the deadline for submission of the individual’s nomination papers to the city. The individual’s nomination papers shall be signed in the aggregate by not less than 100 registered voters residing in the district formed by the combined wards from which the individual seeks to be elected as school committee member. An at large candidate shall have been a resident of the city for at least 1 year. Each member shall be elected for a term of 4 years.
SECTION 3. Notwithstanding any general or special law to the contrary, to ascertain the will of the people of the city of Springfield, the board of election commissioners shall cause the following binding question to be placed on the official ballot to be used in the city at the next regular municipal election to be held on the sixth day of November in the year 2007:-
THIS QUESTION IS BINDING.
Shall the city council of the city of Springfield be composed of 13 members; 1 from each of the 8 wards of the city elected by the voters of that ward and 5 to be elected at large by all the voters of the city; shall the school committee of the city of Springfield be composed of 7 members, including the mayor; 1 member from each of the districts formed by the following combined wards: 1 and 3, 4 and 5, 6 and 7, and 2 and 8; and 2 members to be elected at large from all the voters of the city?
SECTION 4. If a majority of the voters casting a ballot on this binding question shall vote in the affirmative, sections 1 and 2 of this act shall take effect at the next regular municipal election held in the city of Springfield, but not otherwise. The remaining sections of this act shall take effect upon their passage.
Approved October 1, 2007.