Massachusetts Statutes

Section 58. There shall be a mayor, elected by and from the qualified voters of the city, who shall be the chief executive officer of the city. He shall hold office for the term of two years from the first Monday in January following his election and until his successor is qualif…

Section 59. The legislative powers of the city shall be vested in a city council. One of its members shall be elected by the council annually as its president. In cities having more than seven wards, the city council shall be composed of fifteen members, of whom one shall be elec…

Section 59A. If a vacancy occurs in the office of mayor by death, removal or resignation at any time during the first year of the term ending December thirty-first, the city clerk shall forthwith order an election to fill such vacancy for the remainder of the unexpired term. If a…

Section 6. The territory of a city adopting any of the plans of government provided for in this chapter shall continue to be divided into the same number of wards existing at the time of such adoption, which shall retain their boundaries until changed in accordance with general l…

Section 60. Upon the adoption of Plan B, all heads of departments and members of municipal boards, except the school committee, officials appointed by the governor, and assessors if elected by the people, as their terms of office expire, shall be appointed by the mayor, subject t…

Section 61. The mayor may, with the approval of a majority of the members of the city council, remove the head of a department or member of a board before the expiration of his term of office, except members of the school committee, officials appointed by the governor, and assess…

Section 63. Section fifty-five shall apply to cities which adopt Plan B.

Section 64. The method of city government provided for in the fourteen following sections shall be known as Plan C.

Section 65. Upon the adoption by a city of Plan C, it shall become operative as provided in sections one to forty-five, inclusive.

Section 66. The government of the city and the general management and control of all of its affairs shall be vested in a city council, which shall be elected and shall exercise its powers in the manner hereinafter set forth; except that the general management and control of the p…

Section 67. The city council shall consist of the following five members: a mayor, who shall be the commissioner of administration; a commissioner of finance; a commissioner of health; a commissioner of public works and a commissioner of public property. Each commissioner shall h…

Section 68. The terms of office of the members of the council shall commence at ten o'clock in the forenoon of the first Monday in January following their election and shall be for two years each, and until their successors are qualified; provided, that, if the plan adopted provi…

Section 69. The city council elected as aforesaid shall meet at ten o'clock in the forenoon on the first Monday of January in each year, and the members of the city council whose terms of office then begin shall severally make oath, before the city clerk or a justice of the peace…

Section 7. A petition addressed to the city council, signed by qualified voters of the city to a number equal at least to ten per cent of the registered voters at the state election next preceding the filing of the petition and in the form provided in section eight may be filed w…

Section 70. The city council shall fix suitable times for regular meetings. The mayor, the president of the city council or any two members thereof may at any time call a special meeting by causing a written notice, stating the time of holding such meeting and signed by the perso…

Section 71. A majority of the members of the city council shall constitute a quorum. Except as otherwise authorized by section twenty-three A of chapter thirty-nine, all meetings of the city council shall be public; and the mayor, if present, shall preside and may vote. In the ab…

Section 72. The city council shall have and exercise all the legislative powers of the city, except as such powers are reserved to the school committee and to the qualified voters of the city herein and in sections one to forty-five, inclusive, and the city council and its member…

Section 73. In legislative session, the city council shall act by ordinance, resolution, order or vote. The yeas and nays shall be taken upon the passage of all ordinances and resolutions, and entered upon the journal of its proceedings. Upon request of any member, the yeas and n…

Section 74. The mayor shall be the chief executive officer of the city, commissioner of administration and, ex officio, chairman of the school committee. When present, he shall preside at all meetings of the city council and of the school committee and at all joint conventions th…

Section 75. All executive and administrative powers, authorities and duties, not otherwise provided for in this chapter, shall be assigned to a suitable department by the city council by ordinance, and changes in the assignments may be made by ordinance by the affirmative vote of…

Section 76. Each commissioner may, except as is otherwise provided herein, appoint a qualified person to serve as the head of each of the departments under his charge and may remove him for cause stated in the order of removal. All appointments and removals so made shall be subje…

Section 77. Each of said commissioners shall keep a record book in which shall be recorded a brief but clear and comprehensive record of all affairs of the department under his charge as soon as performed, and shall quarterly render to the city council a full report of all operat…

Section 79. The method of city government provided for in the following fourteen sections shall be known as Plan D. Upon the adoption by a city of Plan D, it shall become operative as provided in sections one to forty-five, inclusive, except as otherwise provided by the following…

Section 8. The petition shall be substantially in the following form: To the city council of the city of We the undersigned, qualified voters of the city, respectfully petition your honorable body to cause to be submitted to a vote of the voters the following question:—''Shall th…

Section 80. The terms ''city clerk'' and ''registrars of voters'' when used in sections seventy-nine to ninety-two A, inclusive, shall have the respective meanings given them by section one of chapter fifty.

Section 81. The government of the city and the general management and control of all its affairs shall, except as otherwise provided in this chapter, be vested in a city council, which shall exercise its powers in the manner hereinafter set forth, but subject to sections one to f…

Section 82. The city council shall consist of seven or nine members, as provided in this section, all of whom shall, at each regular municipal election, be elected at large for terms of two years each and shall serve until their successors are qualified. The city council in any c…

Section 83. The city council shall have and exercise all the legislative powers of the city, except as such powers are reserved by this chapter to the school committee and to the qualified voters of the city. The city council, elected as aforesaid, shall meet at ten o'clock in th…

Section 84. The city council shall fix suitable times for its regular meetings. The mayor, or any four members of the city council, or any three members thereof in the case of a city council composed of seven members, may at any time call a special meeting by causing written noti…

Section 85. A majority of all the members elected to the city council shall constitute a quorum. The mayor, if present, shall preside at the meetings and may vote. In the absence of the mayor, the vice-chairman of the city council shall preside and, in the absence of both, a temp…

Section 86. The mayor shall be recognized as the official head of the city for all ceremonial purposes and shall be recognized by the courts for the purpose of serving civil process and by the governor for military purposes. In time of public danger or emergency, as determined by…

Section 88. Except as provided in this section, a vacancy in any elective body shall be filled for the unexpired term by a majority vote of the remaining members, except that if the remaining members fail to fill such vacancy within thirty days after they shall have been notified…

Section 89. The city council shall appoint a city manager who shall be the chief administrative officer of the city and shall be responsible for the administration of all departments, commissions, boards and offices of the city, whether established before its adoption of this pla…

Section 9. In the case of a petition for the adoption of Plan A, B, C, D or E, within seventy days after the petition has been filed with him by the petitioners the city clerk shall, except as provided in section ten, transmit a certified copy thereof to the city council, except …

Section 90. Except as otherwise specifically provided in this chapter, it shall be the duty of the city manager to act as chief conservator of the peace within the city; to supervise the administration of the affairs of the city; to see that within the city the laws of the common…

Section 91. Upon recommendation of the city manager, the city council may by ordinance establish and provide for such officers and employees as shall be determined necessary for the proper administration of the departments, commissions, boards and offices of the city for whose ad…

Section 92. Neither the city council nor any of its committees or members shall direct or request the appointment of any person to, or his removal from, office by the city manager or any of his subordinates, or in any manner take part in the appointment or removal of officers and…

Section 92A. No employee of any department, board or commission of the city shall, directly or indirectly, give, solicit or receive, or in any manner be concerned in giving, soliciting or receiving any assessment, subscription or contribution for any political party or for any ca…

Section 93. The method of city government provided for in the following twenty-three sections shall be known as Plan E. Upon the adoption by a city of Plan E, it shall become operative as provided in sections one to forty-five, inclusive, except as otherwise provided by the follo…

Section 94. The terms ''city clerk'' and ''registrars of voters'' when used in sections ninety-three to one hundred and sixteen, inclusive, shall have the respective meanings given them by section one of chapter fifty.

Section 95. The government of the city and the general management and control of all its affairs shall, except as otherwise provided in this chapter, be vested in a city council, which shall exercise its powers in the manner hereinafter set forth, but subject to sections one to f…

Section 96. The city council shall consist of seven or nine members, as provided in this section, all of whom shall, at each regular municipal election, be elected at large for terms of two years each by proportional representation as hereinafter provided and shall serve until th…

Section 97. The city council shall have and exercise all the legislative powers of the city, except as such powers are reserved by this chapter to the school committee and to the qualified voters of the city. The city council, elected as aforesaid, shall meet at ten o'clock in th…

Section 98. The city council shall fix suitable times for its regular meetings. The mayor, or the vice-chairman of the city council, or any four members thereof, or any three members thereof in the case of a city council composed of seven members, may at any time call a special m…

Section 99. A majority of all the members elected to the city council shall constitute a quorum. The mayor, if present, shall preside at the meetings and may vote. In the absence of the mayor, the vice-chairman of the city council shall preside and, in the absence of both, a temp…

Section 9B. In the case of a petition for the adoption of Plan F, within seventy days after such petition has been filed with him by the petitioners, the city clerk shall, except as provided in section ten, transmit a certified copy thereof to the city council, except that the si…