AN ACT PROVIDING FOR THE ELECTION OF AT-LARGE AND DISTRICT COUNCILORS AND SCHOOL COMMITTEE MEMBERS IN THE CITY OF HAVERHILL
______________________________
(Signed)
(Justice of the Peace, or, Notary Public.)
PETITION ACCOMPANYING STATEMENT OF CANDIDATE
Form of petition.–Whereas (name of candidate) is a candidate for nomination for the office of (state the office) for (state the term), we, the undersigned, voters of the city of _____, duly qualified to vote for a candidate for said office, do hereby request that the name of said (name of candidate) as a candidate for nomination for said office be printed on the official ballot to be used at the preliminary election to be held on the _____ Tuesday of _________, two thousand and __________.
We further state that we believe the candidate to be of good moral character and qualified to perform the duties of the office.
No acceptance by the candidate for nomination named in the said petition shall be necessary to its validity or its filing, and the petition, which may be on 1 or more papers, need not be sworn to.
Nomination papers shall differentiate between councilor at large and district councilor, and, school committee member at large and district school committee member, and shall be furnished by the city clerk to individuals requesting the same. All incumbent elected councilors or school committee members who submit nomination papers for election to the city council or school committee on which they currently serve at any subsequent municipal election shall be entitled to have the words “candidate for re-nomination” or “candidate for re-election” appear next to their name on the ballot.
SECTION 3. The legislative powers of the city shall be vested in a city council consisting of 11 persons. One of its members shall be elected by the council annually as its president. Each councilor shall be elected for a term of 2 years. Four councilors shall be elected at large by the qualified voters of the entire city and 1 councilor shall be elected from each district of the city by the qualified voters within the district which district shall be 1 ward, or otherwise, as defined in the ordinances of the city.
SECTION 4. A city councilor at-large, district city councilor, school committee member at-large or district school committee member that removes from the city during their elected term shall be deemed by the city clerk to have vacated their office. A district city councilor or district school committee member that moves from a district to another during the first 18 months of the elected term shall be deemed to have vacated their seat; provided, however, that a district city councilor or district school committee member who removes from the district from which they were elected during the last 6 months of the elected term may complete their term as district city councilor or district school committee member.
SECTION 5. This act shall take effect upon its passage. The offices of 4 councilors at-large and 7 district councilors and 3 school committee members at-large, if any vacancies, and 7 district school committee members, shall appear on the ballot at the 2023 biennial city election and each biennial city election thereafter.
Approved, August 26, 2022.