# Massachusetts H 4232: An Act relative to the charter of the town of Fairhaven Massachusetts H 4232, An Act relative to the charter of the town of Fairhaven, is a 194th General Court (2025-2026) House bill sponsored by Mark C. Montigny (Democratic), Mark D. Sylvia (Democratic); status signed, last action 2026-05-04 (Signed by the Governor, Chapter 71 of the Acts of 2026) (as of 2026-11-01). - Canonical: https://policyrisk.com/state-bill/MA-H4232-194 - 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 4232 - State: Massachusetts - Session: 194th General Court (2025-2026) - Title: An Act relative to the charter of the town of Fairhaven - Status: signed - Chamber: House - Introduced: 2025-06-23 - Last action: 2026-05-04, Signed by the Governor, Chapter 71 of the Acts of 2026 - Sponsors: Mark C. Montigny (Democratic), Mark D. Sylvia (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: 15 ## Summary No summary available. ## Bill overview: provisions PRIA read - New Housing Authority for affordable homes: benefit, medium. The law creates a five-member Housing Authority. One member is appointed by the state; four are elected. Members serve overlapping five-year terms. The Authority works to provide quality, affordable housing for low- and moderate-income people, seniors, and people with disabilities. - Property tax appeals and abatements: benefit, low. A three‑member Board of Assessors is appointed to part‑time, three‑year terms. The Board hears property tax appeals and decides abatements. Homeowners can ask for relief if they believe their assessment is too high. The Board follows duties in state law and town bylaws. - Budget, finance, and capital planning: benefit, low. By December 31 each year, the Town Administrator submits a proposed budget with revenues, spending, debt service for past, current, and next five years, and capital needs. A Director of Finance coordinates the treasurer, assessors, accountant, and collector and helps with a long‑range plan. The Fin… - Charter takes effect and regular review: benefit, low. The Charter takes effect when voters approve it. People holding elected offices that become appointive keep serving until their terms end. Within 45 days, the Select Board appoints a bylaw review committee to report at the next Town Meeting. Within three years, the Moderator appoints a seven‑reside… - Local elections, Planning Board, and recall: benefit, low. The law lists which town offices are elected and sets member counts and term lengths; most terms are three years, and Housing Authority members serve five. The Planning Board has nine members with overlapping three‑year terms, phased in: three in 2027, three plus one one‑year seat in 2028, then thr… - Public Works runs water, roads, trash: benefit, low. A five‑member Board of Public Works is elected at large to three‑year terms. The Select Board fills any vacancy within 30 days until the next election. Town employees and people who hold other town offices (except Town Meeting members) cannot serve. The Board oversees highways, water, sewers, parks… - Select Board must approve big contracts: benefit, low. The Town Administrator cannot sign or bind the town to any contract over $50,000 without prior Select Board approval. This applies no matter the contract length or auto-renew terms. State or special law can allow exceptions. - Select Board roles and oversight: benefit, low. A five‑member Select Board is elected at large to overlapping three‑year terms and fills vacancies by special election. The board appoints town counsel and most committee and board members, except those elected, moderator‑appointed, on the Finance Committee, or under the School Committee or Board o… - Stronger notice and open meetings: benefit, low. After opening a Town Meeting warrant, the Select Board must post notice on the town website within 24 hours. A printed warrant is posted and published at least seven days before the meeting, and it cannot close until notice has been up for at least 10 days. The warrant goes to the Finance Committee… - Town Administrator runs daily operations: benefit, low. Fairhaven uses a Select Board–Town Administrator–Town Meeting form of government. The Town Administrator is the chief administrative officer and answers to the Select Board. The Administrator manages most departments (not schools or Public Works) and may reorganize them with Select Board approval a… - Town Meeting membership and precincts: benefit, low. The town has 4 to 8 voting precincts, each with at least 500 registered voters. Each precinct’s Town Meeting membership is the largest number divisible by 3 that is no more than 2.7% of that precinct’s residents, with staggered initial terms. Certain officials serve as Members‑at‑Large, including t… - Board of Health inspections and fees: benefit, low. A three‑member Board of Health is elected to overlapping three‑year terms. It appoints and supervises a Health Agent under the personnel bylaw. The Board follows state and federal rules on disease control, food and dairy safety, sewage, dumping, and littering. It conducts inspections and may charge… - Elected School Committee sets policy and budget: mixed, low. The law creates a five-member elected School Committee. Members serve overlapping three-year terms. The Committee appoints the superintendent and the school business administrator. It sets school goals and policies and proposes the school budget, which Town Meeting must approve. The Committee repor… - Town staff hiring and labor rules: mixed, low. The Town Administrator runs day‑to‑day personnel policies for most employees, except schools and some Public Works hiring. Department heads must hire and fire based on merit, with prior approval from the Administrator and in line with laws and bylaws. The Administrator may appoint, suspend, or remo… - New hiring rules for Public Works chief: mixed, low. The Board of Public Works appoints a Superintendent of Public Works and sets the pay. The Superintendent serves at the Board’s will and is not covered by state civil-service law (chapter 31). The Superintendent must be qualified and give a bond. With Board approval, the Superintendent may hire assi… ## Sponsors and cosponsors - Sponsor: Mark C. Montigny (Democratic), Senate - Sponsor: Mark D. Sylvia (Democratic), House ## Roll call votes | Date | Chamber | Motion | Result | Yes | No | Other | | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | | 2025-07-25 | committee | Committee Favorable: Ought to Pass | pass | 11 | 0 | | ## Actions (19) - 2026-05-04: Signed by the Governor, Chapter 71 of the Acts of 2026 - 2026-05-04: Enacted and laid before the Governor (Senate) - 2026-05-04: Enacted (House) - 2026-05-04: House concurred in the Senate amendment (House) - 2026-05-04: Referred to the committee on Bills in the Third Reading (House) - 2026-04-30: Passed to be engrossed (Senate) - 2026-04-30: Amended (Montigny) by striking out all after the enacting clause and inserting in place thereof the text of S3059 (Senate) - 2026-04-30: Read third (Senate) - 2026-04-30: Taken out of the Orders of the Day (Senate) - 2025-10-23: Read second and ordered to a third reading (Senate) - 2025-10-09: Read; and placed in the Orders of the Day for the next session (Senate) - 2025-10-06: Read third and passed to be engrossed (House) - 2025-09-02: Read second and ordered to a third reading (House) - 2025-09-02: Rules suspended (House) - 2025-09-02: Committee reported that the matter be placed in the Orders of the Day for the next sitting (House) - 2025-08-04: Bill reported favorably by committee and referred to the committee on House Steering, Policy and Scheduling (House) - 2025-07-09: Hearing scheduled for 07/22/2025 from 01:00 PM-05:00 PM in B-1 (legislature) - 2025-06-26: Senate concurred (Senate) - 2025-06-23: Referred to the committee on Municipalities and Regional Government (House) ## Bill text - Chapter 71 of the Acts of 2026, 2026-05-04: [PDF](https://malegislature.gov/Bills/194/H4232.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 71 of the Acts of 2026 (PDF)](https://malegislature.gov/Bills/194/H4232.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-H4232-194 (as of 2026-11-01).