Massachusetts Statutes

Section 13. When in session, the commissioners may administer oaths to witnesses and punish disorderly conduct which interrupts their meeting or is an open and direct contempt of their authority or persons by a fine of not more than five dollars or by confinement in the custody o…

Section 14. In addition to such powers and duties as may otherwise be conferred or imposed by law, the commissioners may provide for erecting and repairing jails and other necessary public buildings within and for the use of their county, but no money shall be paid or liability i…

Section 14A. In any county which accepts this section by vote of the county commissioners, the chairman of the county commissioners shall appoint a senior citizen to serve as an associate commissioner for affairs concerning the elderly. Said associate commissioner shall serve for…

Section 14B. In any county which accepts this section by vote of the county commissioners, the chairman of the county commissioners shall appoint a handicapped person to serve as an associate commissioner for affairs concerning handicapped persons. Said associate commissioner sha…

Section 15. They shall, upon administering the oaths of office to officers required by law to qualify before them, forthwith make return thereof to the state secretary.

Section 16. Except as otherwise provided by law, all offices under the jurisdiction of the commissioners shall be open to the public for the transaction of business daily on days other than Saturdays, Sundays and legal holidays for such hours as may be set by the commissioners, e…

Section 18. The commissioners shall require all applicants for the award of damages or the performance of any other official act in which the county has no interest to recognize to the county, with sureties to their satisfaction, for the payment of all costs and expenses accruing…

Section 19. The commissioners severally may, at other times than at regular meetings, receive petitions relative to railroads or to matters where the county has no interest and may take recognizances thereon, and, upon such petitions and similar petitions entered at a regular mee…

Section 2. County commissioners shall cause changes in the boundaries of towns, in the courses of highways, railroads and canals, and other topographical alterations to be correctly delineated on the county maps, which shall remain in their possession. The state secretary, as oft…

Section 20. The laws relative to the powers, duties and liabilities of county commissioners and their clerks shall apply, except as otherwise provided, to all other public officers exercising their powers.

Section 21. The provisions of section thirty of chapter thirty relative to the dimensions of official letters shall apply to letters from county officials.

Section 22. For wilful breach or neglect of a duty imposed by law, a county commissioner or clerk of the county commissioners shall forfeit not less than fifty nor more than one thousand dollars, recoverable to the use of the county, at the suit of the attorney general.

Section 23. Any county may receive, hold and manage any gift by devise, bequest or otherwise, to the use or benefit of the county or any activity, institution, organization, board, commission or other public body to the use of which funds of the county are advanced or contributed…

Section 24. Any county officer or department may, with the approval of the county commissioners, accept any grant from the federal government for the use or benefit of the county or any activity, institution or board. The county treasurer shall be the custodian of such grant, whi…

Section 25. The commissioners may, subject to appropriation, acquire by eminent domain, or by purchase or otherwise, the fee or other lesser interest in such real property within their respective counties as may be necessary to maintain, improve, protect, limit the future use of …

Section 3. Each county shall provide suitable jails, houses of correction, fireproof offices and other public buildings, including both the structures and the land upon which such structures are sited, necessary for its use; provided, however, that the county of Dukes need not pr…

Section 4. Except in Nantucket and Suffolk counties, there shall be elected in each county, as provided in section one hundred and fifty-eight of chapter fifty-four, for terms of four years beginning the first Wednesday of January following their election and until their successo…

Section 5. The salaries of county commissioners, payable by their respective counties in full for all services performed by said commissioners except as otherwise provided, shall be as follows:— Middlesex............................$9,505.16 Essex............................8,799…

Section 5A. Subject to the acceptance of this section as hereinafter provided, the salaries of county commissioners, payable by their respective counties in full for all services performed by said commissioners except as otherwise provided, shall be as follows: Effective July 1, …

Section 7. A person acting as commissioner by appointment under section twelve shall be paid by the county not less than five dollars for each day of actual service, not exceeding five hundred dollars in any year, and ten cents a mile for travel each way.

Section 8. An itemized statement of the actual and proper cost to each commissioner for transportation and other necessary expenses incurred in the performance of his official duties shall, on the first day of each month, be approved by a majority of the county commissioners and …

Section 9. The commissioners shall hold meetings at the following times and places for their respective counties: At Barnstable, the second Tuesday of April and October. At Pittsfield, the first Tuesday of January, April, July and October. At Taunton, the fourth Tuesday of March …

Section 9A. The records of the commissioners shall consist of a docket, the files, a record of payments ordered, the extended record, and a complete record of proceedings at all meetings as provided in section ten.

Section 9B. The docket is hereby defined as a record wherein their clerk shall register, by its title or by an abstract, and numbered consecutively, every action, suit and proceeding commenced before or transferred or appealed to the commissioners, and also contracts filed as req…

Section 9C. The files are hereby defined as all papers and processes filed with or by the clerk in any action, suit, proceeding or contract, before, by or with the commissioners. All such papers, processes and contracts shall be numbered consecutively in each case, as entered.

Section 9D. The record of payments ordered shall be in such form as the commissioners, with the approval of the director of accounts, may determine. It shall contain the name of each person to whom payment is ordered made, together with its amount, both of which shall be classifi…

Section 9E. The extended record shall be in abridged form. It shall comprise an abbreviated chronicle of all matters entered upon the docket, under the same or a similar title or an abstract thereof, and under the same number, and shall contain a brief and concise narrative of th…

Section 1. This chapter may be cited as the ''County Charter Procedures Act''. As used in this chapter, the terms ''board of registrars of voters'', ''city council'', and ''board of selectmen'' shall include any local authority of different designation performing like duties.

Section 10. (A.) In any county in which a charter commission has been established under this chapter, the members of the advisory board on county expenditures shall have the right to participate in the deliberations of the charter commission, but without the right to vote; except…

Section 11. (A.) The charter commission shall hold public hearings, sponsor public forums and otherwise provide for the widest possible dissemination of information and the stimulation of public discussion respecting the purposes and progress of its work. (B.) The charter commiss…

Section 12. (A.) The charter study commission may report and recommend: (i) That a referendum be held to submit to the voters of the county the question of adopting one of the optional forms of the government set forth in sections seventeen, eighteen, and nineteen of this chapter…

Section 13. (A) If the charter commission shall have recommended the adoption of one of the optional forms of government authorized by this chapter, the charter commission shall notify the state secretary by the first Wednesday in August to place the following referendum question…

Section 14. (a) The charter may be revised in the same manner as provided for in its original adoption by section three. (b) A petition for the adoption or revision of a charter shall conform with the requirements of subsection (c) and shall have a sentence in substantially the f…

Section 15. (A.) Upon adoption by the registered voters of any county, except Barnstable county of any optional form of government set forth in this chapter, the county shall thereafter be governed by the plan adopted, by the provisions of this chapter applicable to all optional …

Section 16. (A.) Any county that has adopted a charter pursuant to this chapter may, in accordance with the provisions of such charter, and subject to the provisions of general law and the Constitution of the Commonwealth of Massachusetts: (i) Organize and regulate its internal a…

Section 17. (A.) Form of Government. (i) The form of government provided in this section shall be known as the ''county executive plan,'' and shall together with sections fifteen, sixteen and twenty of this chapter, govern any county whose voters have adopted it pursuant to this …

Section 18. (A.) Form of Government. (i) The form of government provided in this section shall be known as the ''county manager plan,'' and shall, together with sections fifteen, sixteen and twenty of this chapter, govern any county whose voters have adopted it pursuant to this c…

Section 19. (A.) Form of Government. (i) The form of government provided in this article shall be known as the ''board chairperson plan,'' and shall, together with sections fifteen, sixteen and twenty of this chapter govern any county whose voters have adopted it pursuant to this…

Section 2. Every county, except Barnstable county, shall have the power to adopt a charter or to revise an existing charter in accordance with procedures prescribed by this chapter. This chapter shall not limit any charter adoption or revision procedures allowed by prior law or t…

Section 20. Relations between the Legislative and Executive Branches. A. Separation of Powers. In any county that shall have adopted a charter under this chapter, the commissioners shall deal with county employees only through the officials responsible for the overall executive m…

Section 21. The provisions of this act shall not apply to the county of Barnstable.

Section 3. (A.) Whenever authorized by resolution of the county commissioners or by the advisory board on county expenditures, or on petition of the registered voters of any county, except in Barnstable county an election shall be held in the county upon the question, ''Shall a c…

Section 4. (A.) At the same election as the public question is submitted, fifteen members of a charter study commission shall be elected by the county's registered voters. The voting instructions shall state that the voter may vote on the question and that, regardless of how and …

Section 5. (A.) At-large candidates for the charter commission shall be registered voters of the county in which they are candidates. District candidates for the charter commission shall be registered voters of the district in which they are candidates. (B.) The signatures of thr…

Section 6. (A.) A charter commission shall consist of fifteen registered voters of such county elected by official ballot, without party or political designation, at an election held in accordance with relevant provisions of general law and this chapter. In addition, each county …

Section 7. The commission member who received the highest number of votes shall convene the first meeting of the charter commission as soon as possible but in no event later than fifteen days after certification of the results of the state election by the governor and governor's …