# Massachusetts H 4149: An Act relative to the charter in the city of Lynn Massachusetts H 4149, An Act relative to the charter in the city of Lynn, is a 194th General Court (2025-2026) House bill sponsored by Daniel Cahill (Democratic); status signed, last action 2025-12-09 (Signed by the Governor, Chapter 84 of the Acts of 2025) (as of 2026-11-01). - Canonical: https://policyrisk.com/state-bill/MA-H4149-194 - As of: 2026-11-01 - Plain-text twin of the page above; the HTML and this file carry the same facts. ## Facts - Bill: Massachusetts H 4149 - State: Massachusetts - Session: 194th General Court (2025-2026) - Title: An Act relative to the charter in the city of Lynn - Status: signed - Chamber: House - Introduced: 2025-05-19 - Last action: 2025-12-09, Signed by the Governor, Chapter 84 of the Acts of 2025 - Sponsor: Daniel Cahill (Democratic) - Cosponsors: 0 - Subjects: Municipalities and Regional Government, House Steering, Policy and Scheduling, Bills in the Third Reading - Touches household money: no - Roll calls: 1 (11 yes, 0 no in all) - Economic provisions PRIA read: 21 ## Summary No summary available. ## Bill overview: provisions PRIA read - Charter rollout and deadlines for orders: benefit, low. The charter is fully effective in January 2026. Until required orders are issued, current offices and departments keep working. Within 180 days of enactment, the mayor must issue an administrative code, a language access plan, and a progressive disciplinary policy. Some department heads in office o… - City elections calendar and nonpartisan ballots: benefit, low. Regular city elections happen in November of odd‑numbered years, on the first Tuesday after the first Monday. A preliminary election is held on the fourth Tuesday before the regular election. Ballots for city offices do not show party labels. - Council leaders, staff, and oversight powers: benefit, low. Each January, the council elects a president and a vice‑president by majority of the full council. A councilor cannot hold a paid appointive city job during the term and for one year after, unless waived by a two‑thirds council vote; employees on leave may return to their old job. The council can r… - Keep wards fair; fill council seats: benefit, low. The city has seven wards with populations kept as equal as possible. The council reviews ward lines to keep them compact, contiguous, and fair. If a council seat opens, the council fills it with the losing candidate who got the most votes and at least 20% for that seat. If no one meets 20%, after 1… - More open boards and public rules: benefit, low. Appointed boards must elect officers, meet regularly, keep agendas and minutes, and hold public meetings except as allowed by law. Certified records go to the city clerk. All city rules must be filed with the clerk and take effect five days after filing. The city updates and republishes its ordinan… - More open council meetings and records: benefit, low. Special meetings can be called by the mayor, council president, or three members, with email notice at least 48 hours ahead listing the topics. Council and committee sessions are open to the public, and roll‑call votes and records are open for inspection. A majority of the full council is needed to… - New city council makeup and terms: benefit, low. Lynn’s city council has 11 members: 4 elected citywide and 7 elected by ward. Councilors serve two-year terms that start on the first business day in January after the election. Any registered voter can serve as a councilor. A ward councilor who moves to another ward during a term may finish that t… - Prior special acts stay in force: benefit, low. The law keeps chapter 53 of 1998 and chapter 69 of 2014 (illegal dumping) in effect for the city. - Limits on mayor and council pay: benefit, low. The council sets pay for the mayor and for councilors by ordinance. Any pay increase must be passed in the first 18 months of the council’s term. It only takes effect at the start of the next term (next mayoral or council term). This blocks mid-term raises from taking immediate effect. - School committee makeup and terms: benefit, low. The school committee includes the mayor as chair and six members elected at large. Members serve two‑year terms that start on the first business day in January after the election. Members serve until their successors are qualified. - School leadership, budget, and voting rules: benefit, low. The school committee elects a superintendent to run the school system. It may create assistant or associate superintendent roles when the superintendent recommends them. The committee sets management rules and adopts the annual school budget, which the city council must appropriate. A quorum is fou… - Personal liability for overspending city funds: cost, high. City officials who knowingly and intentionally spend more than what is appropriated are personally liable to repay the city for the excess, to the extent the city does not recover the funds. - Limits on paid jobs for school members: cost, low. Except for the mayor, a school committee member cannot hold a paid city or school job during their term. The ban also lasts one year after the term ends. A two‑thirds vote of the full committee can grant a waiver. A city worker on official leave may return to their job. - Signature rules to get on ballot: cost, low. To get on the preliminary ballot: mayor candidates need 500 signatures, with no more than 150 from any ward. Councillor‑at‑large and school committee candidates need 350 signatures, with no more than 100 from any ward. Ward councillor candidates need 100 signatures from their ward. - City hiring: merit, one job, residency: mixed, low. City hiring and promotions must be based on merit, proven by exams, past performance, or other clear proof of skill. The city prefers applicants who lived in Lynn for 12 straight months when they are as qualified as non‑residents, unless state law or a union contract says otherwise. No one may hold… - Mayor powers and appointment checks: mixed, low. The mayor holds all executive power and must enforce city laws. The mayor has 10 days to sign or veto council measures; the council can override with a two‑thirds vote, and silence means approval. The mayor can reorganize city agencies, but a plan takes effect only after 60 days unless the council… - Mayor serves full-time, four years: mixed, low. Any registered voter can be mayor. The mayor must work full time, cannot hold another elective office, and cannot actively work another job or business. The term is four years, starting the first business day in January after the election. The mayor stays in office until a successor is qualified. - Older Lynn special acts repealed: mixed, low. The law repeals three prior special acts: one on dual office holding (1988), one on the city clerk (1997), and a 2022 act on residency preference. These older local rules no longer apply. - Rules for acting and vacant mayor: mixed, low. If the mayor cannot serve, the council may name an acting mayor by a four‑fifths vote. The acting mayor handles urgent matters only and cannot make permanent hires or removals unless the absence is over 60 days. A temporary designee may perform the mayor’s duties for up to 120 days, with one 30‑day… - Stronger budget, capital plan, and audits: mixed, low. The city’s fiscal year runs July 1 to June 30. The mayor submits the operating budget at least 45 days before the fiscal year; the school budget is due to the mayor 30 days before that. The council has 45 days to adopt it and may cut items, but cannot raise any item or the total without the mayor’s… - Your rights to petition and recall: mixed, low. A petition with 150 voter signatures gets a public hearing and a final decision within three months. To start an initiative, file 300 origin signatures with at least 25 per ward and a 10‑person affidavit; return a full petition with 10% of registered voters within 60 days. The council or school com… ## Sponsors and cosponsors - Sponsor: Daniel Cahill (Democratic), House ## Roll call votes | Date | Chamber | Motion | Result | Yes | No | Other | | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | | 2025-07-02 | committee | Committee Favorable: Ought to Pass | pass | 11 | 0 | | ## Actions (19) - 2025-12-09: Signed by the Governor, Chapter 84 of the Acts of 2025 - 2025-12-01: Enacted and laid before the Governor (Senate) - 2025-12-01: Enacted (House) - 2025-11-26: House concurred in the Senate amendment (House) - 2025-11-05: Referred to the committee on Bills in the Third Reading (House) - 2025-11-03: Passed to be engrossed (Senate) - 2025-11-03: Amended (Crighton) by striking out all after the enacting clause and inserting in place thereof the text of S2693 (Senate) - 2025-11-03: Read third (Senate) - 2025-11-03: Taken out of the Orders of the Day (Senate) - 2025-10-23: Read second and ordered to a third reading (Senate) - 2025-09-25: Read; and placed in the Orders of the Day for the next session (Senate) - 2025-09-22: Read third, amended, and passed to be engrossed (House) - 2025-07-31: Read second and ordered to a third reading (House) - 2025-07-31: Rules suspended (House) - 2025-07-31: Committee reported that the matter be placed in the Orders of the Day for the next sitting (House) - 2025-07-16: Bill reported favorably by committee and referred to the committee on House Steering, Policy and Scheduling (House) - 2025-06-17: Hearing scheduled for 06/24/2025 from 01:00 PM-05:00 PM in B-1 (legislature) - 2025-05-20: Senate concurred (Senate) - 2025-05-19: Referred to the committee on Municipalities and Regional Government (House) ## Bill text - Chapter 84 of the Acts of 2025, 2025-12-09: [PDF](https://malegislature.gov/Bills/194/H4149.pdf) ## Related bills - H 4585: An Act authorizing the town of Auburn to offer expanded senior property tax abatements (signed) - H 5435: An Act authorizing the town of Topsfield to continue to employment of police chief Neal Hovey (passed senate) - H 5515: An Act to increase the value of estates eligible for abatements pursuant to M.G.L. chapter 59, section 5, clauses seventeenth D and forty-first C in the town o… (passed house) - H 3909: An Act authorizing the Provincetown year-round market rate rental housing trust to acquire year-round housing occupancy restrictions (signed) - H 5520: An Act exempting George Patrinos from the maximum age requirement age for the position of firefighter in the town of Dudley (signed) - H 5429: An Act providing injured on duty compensation to Chelmsford firefighter Nicholas Spinale (second reading) ## Sources - [Chapter 84 of the Acts of 2025 (PDF)](https://malegislature.gov/Bills/194/H4149.pdf) ## Related - [H 4585: An Act authorizing the town of Auburn to offer expanded senior property tax aba…](https://policyrisk.com/state-bill/MA-H4585-194) - [H 5435: An Act authorizing the town of Topsfield to continue to employment of police ch…](https://policyrisk.com/state-bill/MA-H5435-194) - [H 5515: An Act to increase the value of estates eligible for abatements pursuant to M.G…](https://policyrisk.com/state-bill/MA-H5515-194) - [H 3909: An Act authorizing the Provincetown year-round market rate rental housing trust…](https://policyrisk.com/state-bill/MA-H3909-194) - [H 5520: An Act exempting George Patrinos from the maximum age requirement age for the p…](https://policyrisk.com/state-bill/MA-H5520-194) - [H 5429: An Act providing injured on duty compensation to Chelmsford firefighter Nichola…](https://policyrisk.com/state-bill/MA-H5429-194) - [Massachusetts bills](https://policyrisk.com/states/massachusetts/bills) - [Massachusetts state hub](https://policyrisk.com/states/massachusetts) - [All state legislation](https://policyrisk.com/state-bills) Source: PRIA, https://policyrisk.com/state-bill/MA-H4149-194 (as of 2026-11-01).