AN ACT AUTHORIZING THE BOARD OF SELECTMEN OF HARDWICK TO APPOINT THE TOWN TREASURER
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. (a) Notwithstanding section 1 of chapter 41 of the General Laws or any other general or special law to the contrary, there shall be an appointed office of town treasurer for the town of Hardwick. The town treasurer shall have all the powers, perform the duties and be subject to the liabilities and penalties conferred and imposed by law on town treasurers. The town treasurer shall be appointed and may be removed after the opportunity for a hearing by the board of selectmen of the town. The board of selectmen may establish an employment contract for the town treasurer for salary, fringe benefits and other conditions of employment including, but not limited to, severance pay, reimbursement for expenses incurred in the performance of the duties of office, liability insurance and conditions of discipline, termination, dismissal, reappointment, performance standards and leave.
(b) On the effective date of this act, the elected office of town treasurer shall be abolished and the term of the office shall be terminated; provided, however, that an incumbent of the elected office serving on the effective date of this act shall hold the office of appointed town treasurer and perform the duties of that office until the expiration date of the term for which the incumbent was elected or until the incumbent otherwise vacates the office. After the expiration of the term of the incumbent town treasurer, or a sooner vacating of the office, the position shall be posted and published in a local newspaper and a search committee shall be formed. The committee shall include the town assessor, the town accountant, the collector of taxes, the town administrator, the finance committee chairperson and a member of the public. The committee shall conduct preliminary interviews and shall recommend 3 candidates to the board of selectmen. The board of selectmen shall interview the recommended candidates and shall appoint a town treasurer pursuant to subsection (a).
(c) A contract or liability in force on the effective date of this act shall not be affected by the abolition of the elected office of town treasurer pursuant to subsection (b) and the establishment of the appointed office of town treasurer pursuant to subsection (a). The appointed office of town treasurer shall, in all respects, be the lawful successor of the abolished office. All records, property and equipment of the elected office of town treasurer shall be assigned to the appointed office of town treasurer.
SECTION 2. This act shall take effect upon its passage.
Approved, March 9, 2018.