AN ACT PROVIDING FOR THE FILLING OF A VACANCY IN 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 subsection (a) of section 4.11 of section 1 of chapter 425 of the acts of 1983, or any other general or special law to the contrary, if a vacancy in the office of the mayor occurs in the year 2021, the president of the city council of the city of Lawrence shall become acting mayor until the mayor elected in the regularly scheduled 2021 municipal election is given the oath of office immediately upon certification of that election. Upon the qualification of the president of the city council as acting mayor, the president of the city council’s office of councilor shall be appointed as provided for in subsection (a) or subsection (b) of section 3.9 of the charter of the city of Lawrence.
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 shall 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 act, shall 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 subsection (a) or subsection (b) of section 3.9 of said charter shall immediately be relieved of their service once the oath of office is administered to the elected mayor; and the former acting mayor resumes their elected duties as a city councilor and resumes the role of president, at which time the acting city council president shall resume their role as the vice president of the city council.
SECTION 2. This act shall take effect upon its passage.
Approved, January 7, 2020.