Massachusetts Statutes

Section 19A. Upon the appointment or election of a clerk or an assistant or temporary clerk of a city, town or district, or upon the appointment of a secretary or temporary secretary of a regional school district, the officer making the appointment, otherwise the president of the…

Section 19B. Every city or town clerk under age seventy duly elected or appointed, except a temporary clerk, who has served therein continuously not less than five years, shall, notwithstanding any contrary provision of general or special laws, hold office during good behavior un…

Section 19C. In cities, and in any town using official ballots, acceptance of the provisions of section nineteen B shall be by vote in answer to a question placed on the official ballot at a regular city or town election as hereinafter provided; and in towns not using official ba…

Section 19D. After the acceptance of the provisions of section nineteen B in any city or town, the incumbent city or town clerk shall not be removed from office, lowered in rank, or suspended, except for just cause, and for reasons specifically given him in writing by the city co…

Section 19E. In any city or town in which the clerk has been given permanent tenure by the acceptance of the provisions of section nineteen B, such tenure in office shall be effective only during the incumbency of the person who held such office at the time said section was accep…

Section 19F. In any city which accepts this section, the city clerk shall, if in said city, he is required by statute or ordinance to serve as clerk of the city council, and notwithstanding any provision of section thirty-three A of chapter forty-four or any other general or spec…

Section 19G. A clerk of a city or town who also serves as a member of its board of registrars of voters shall, in addition to any compensation to which he may be entitled as city or town clerk, receive the sum of fifty dollars, and, if the number of registered voters exceeds one …

Section 19H. Notwithstanding the limitation contained in section nineteen G, in a city or town which accepts this section the total amount of additional compensation payable to its clerk who also serves as a member of its board of registrars of voters shall not exceed two thousan…

Section 19I. Notwithstanding the provisions of chapter two hundred and sixty-eight A, any clerk of a city or town who also serves in any other position for such city or town may in addition to any compensation to which he may be entitled as such city or town clerk receive such ad…

Section 19J. Notwithstanding the provisions of sections nineteen G and nineteen H, a city or town which accepts this section may compensate a clerk of a city or town who also serves as a member of its board of registrars of voters, in addition to any compensation to which such cl…

Section 19K. In any town, that accepts this section, a town clerk who has completed the necessary courses of study and training, and has been awarded a certificate by the Massachusetts Town Clerks' Association as a certified Massachusetts municipal clerk, shall receive as compens…

Section 1A. Except as otherwise expressly provided, the word ''district'', as used in this chapter, shall mean a fire, water, sewer, water pollution abatement, refuse disposal, light, or improvement district, or any other district, howsoever named, formed for the purpose of carry…

Section 1B. Any office or board, except the board of selectmen and the school committee, elected under the provisions of section 1 may become an appointed position or board by a majority vote of the annual or special town meeting and acceptance by the voters of the town at the an…

Section 2. Where the town elects a new board or officer to perform the duties of an existing board or officer, the office of such existing board or officer shall terminate upon the qualification of the new board or officer. Where official ballots are used, the establishment of a …

Section 20. Selectmen shall, upon the receipt and approval of the bond of a collector of taxes or treasurer, give written notice thereof to the assessors. The selectmen shall be assessors of taxes in towns which have not authorized the election of such officers; and before acting…

Section 21. By vote of a town meeting called for the purpose in any town at least sixty days before an annual meeting, or upon request by petition of ten per cent of the qualified voters of any town filed with the selectmen thereof at least sixty days before an annual town meetin…

Section 21A. In any city or town which accepts the provisions of this section, any person who is appointed to the position of chief of police or head of the municipal police department in a city, town, or district, shall not be removed from such position until a hearing is held b…

Section 22. Officers appointed by authority of a vote under the preceding section shall hold office until removed by the selectmen, and shall receive such salary as the selectmen may determine, subject to the appropriations of the town therefor; and any vacancies existing in any …

Section 23. A town may, after a vote under section twenty-one has been in effect therein for a period of not less than three years, by a vote at a meeting held at least sixty days before the annual town election, rescind such action in whole or in part and thereupon such town sha…

Section 23A. A town may by vote or by-law authorize and empower the selectmen to appoint an executive secretary or town administrator who may be appointed by them for a term of one or three years and to remove him at their discretion. An executive secretary or town administrator …

Section 23B. The selectmen of any town may make an investigation into the conduct and operation of any town department. Upon completion of such investigation a report shall be submitted to the town clerk and such report shall be printed in the annual town report.

Section 23C. No person shall be authorized by vote of a town to act on behalf of the board of selectmen unless the vote provides that such person shall be appointed and may be removed by said board.

Section 23D. A city by ordinance and a town by by-law may provide for the establishment of a municipal data processing center for the use of any department, office, board, committee or agency of the city or town, including the school committee and any public authority or special …

Section 24. There shall be one, three, five, seven or nine assessors in every city and one, three or five assessors in every town. The assessors in every city and town shall be elected or appointed as otherwise provided by law; but as nearly one third of their number as may be sh…

Section 25. In towns which accept this section or have accepted corresponding provisions of earlier laws, the selectmen shall appoint suitable citizens of the town assessors for a term of not more than three years, and may remove them at any time for cause after a hearing. Upon t…

Section 25A. The assessors may appoint as assistant assessors such number of suitable citizens as they deem necessary, and may remove them. Such assistant assessors shall perform such duties as the assessors may require for such time as they may determine and shall receive compen…

Section 26. If a town votes under section twenty-one to have its selectmen appoint a board of assessors, the selectmen shall thereupon appoint three or five suitable persons as assessors, who shall act as assessors of the town and shall have all necessary powers therefor.

Section 26A. The assessors, or selectmen acting as assessors, may employ counsel at the expense of the city or town in all proceedings under chapter fifty-eight A; provided, that if such city or town maintains a city solicitor or town counsel the assessors, or selectmen acting as…

Section 28. Assistant assessors shall, in their respective districts, assist the assessors in estimating the value of the real and personal estate in such districts, and in the performance of such other duties as the assessors require.

Section 29. Any person chosen to assess taxes or to determine or to assist in determining the value of property for the purpose of taxation shall, before entering upon the performance of his duties, take the following oath: I, having been chosen to assess taxes and estimate the v…

Section 3. Officers of cities shall have the powers and be subject to the liabilities of the corresponding town officers, if no other provisions are made relative to them.

Section 30. Any person chosen to determine the valuation of property for the purpose of taxation who, in order that the taxpayers may escape payment of their just proportion of any state or county tax or in order to evade any law limiting municipal indebtedness or the rate of tax…

Section 30A. A vacancy in the office of assessor shall not divest or suspend the authority and powers of the remaining assessors, notwithstanding any provision of special law making mandatory the filling of vacancies.

Section 30B. (a) Notwithstanding any general or special law or municipal charter, vote, by-law or ordinance, 2 or more cities and towns, by vote of the city council with the approval of the mayor, in a city, and by vote of the board of selectmen, in a town, may enter into an agre…

Section 34B. Whenever the assessor, in any communication, document or writing intended for use outside his department, identifies a husband and wife, he shall use the name of both husband and wife and shall not use a legal phrase as a substitute for either name.

Section 35. Every town treasurer shall give bond annually for the faithful performance of his duties in a form approved by the commissioner of revenue and in such sum, not less than the amount established by said commissioner, as shall be fixed by the selectmen or the mayor and a…

Section 36. He may in his own name and official capacity prosecute actions upon bonds, notes or other securities given to him or to his predecessors in office; and unless otherwise provided, he or the chief or superintendent of police or other police officer of the town may prose…

Section 38. A town may authorize its collector of taxes to use all means of collecting taxes which a town treasurer may use when appointed a collector of taxes.

Section 38A. Notwithstanding any general or special law to the contrary, a city or town may by ordinance, by-law or vote provide that the collector of taxes shall be authorized to collect, under the title of city or town collector, any accounts due the city or town and may in lik…

Section 39. If a person appointed to collect taxes in a town refuses to serve, or if no person is elected or appointed a collector of taxes, the constables of the town shall be the collectors of taxes.

Section 39A. The treasurer of a city or town may in writing appoint, with the approval of the mayor or the selectmen thereof, an assistant treasurer who may be an employee in the treasurer's department. The assistant treasurer shall be sworn to the faithful performance of his dut…

Section 39C. The collector of a city or town may in writing appoint, with approval of the mayor or the selectmen thereof, an assistant collector who may be an employee in said collector's department. The assistant collector shall be sworn to the faithful performance of his duties…

Section 4. A town which does not choose selectmen or assessors shall forfeit such amount, not less than one hundred nor more than five hundred dollars, as the county commissioners of the county where the town is situated may order.

Section 40. If the office of town treasurer, town collector of taxes, town accountant or auditor in a town having but one is vacant or if any such officer, because of disability or absence, is unable to perform his duties, the selectmen may in writing signed by them or by a major…

Section 41. No treasurer or other fiscal officer of any town or city shall pay any salary or compensation to any person in the service or employment of the town or city unless the payroll, bill or account for such salary or compensation shall be sworn to by the head of the depart…

Section 41A. Notwithstanding the provisions of section thirty-five, the treasurer of a city or town may deliver or cause to be delivered to the head of a municipal department or his designee the payroll checks for the employees of such department, with the approval of the board o…