1846 Charter

the mayor; one council of four, to be denominated the board of aldermen; and one council of twenty-four, to be denominated the common council; which boards, in their joint capacity, shall be denominated the city council

On the first Monday of March, annually, there shall be chosen by ballot, in each of said wards, a warden, clerk, and three inspectors of elections, who shall hold their offices for one year

it shall be the duty of such warden to preside at all ward meetings, with the powers of moderator of town meetings

The mayor and four aldermen, one alderman being selected from each ward, shall be elected by the inhabitants of the city at large, voting in their respective wards, and six common councilmen shall be elected from and by each ward, being residents in the wards where elected; all said officers shall be chosen by ballot, and shall hold their offices one year from the first Monday in April, and the mayor, until another shall be elected in his place and qualified.

On the first Monday in March, annually, the qualified voters in each ward shall give in their votes for a warden, clerk and three inspectors, a mayor, four aldermen, one of whom shall reside in each of the wards, and six common council men

the person who shall have been elected mayor, by a majority of the votes given in all the wards

the board of common council shall be organized by the choice of a president, and also of a clerk, who shall be under oath faithfully to perform the duties of his office, and who shall hold his office during the pleasure of the common council.

The mayor, thus chosen and qualified, shall be the chief executive officer of said city.
He shall preside in the board of aldermen, and in joint meeting of the two boards, but shall have a casting vote only.

The salary of the mayor, for the first year in which this charter shall take effect, shall be six hundred dollars, and no more. He shall afterwards be compensated for his services by a salary to be fixed by the city council, payable at stated periods, and shall receive no other compensation; but such compensation shall not be increased nor diminished during his continuance in office.

The executive powers of said city, and the administration of police, with all the powers heretofore vested in the selectmen of Cambridge, shall be vested in the mayor and aldermen

The city council shall, annually, as soon after their organization as may be convenient, elect, by joint ballot in convention, a city treasurer and collector of taxes, and city clerk, and shall, in such manner as the city council shall determine, by any by-law made for the purpose, appoint or elect all subordinate officers, not herein otherwise directed, for the ensuing year, define their duties and fix their compensation, in cases where such duties and compensations shall not be defined and fixed by the laws of this Commonwealth.

In all cases in which appointments are directed to be made by the mayor and aldermen, the mayor shall have the exclusive power of nomination, — such nomination, however, being subject to be confirmed or rejected by the board of aldermen

The city clerk, chosen by the city council, as provided in the eighth section, shall be clerk of the board of aldermen

The citizens at their respective ward meetings, to be held on the first Monday of March, annually, shall elect, by ballot, two persons in each ward to be overseers of the poor; and the persons thus chosen shall, with the mayor of the city, together, constitute the board of overseers of the poor

And the citizens shall, at the same time and in like manner, elect two persons in each ward to be members of the school committee; and the persons so chosen, together with the mayor, shall constitute the school committee, and have the care and superintendence of the public schools.

And the citizens shall, at the same time, and in like manner, elect one person in each ward to be an assessor; and the persons, thus chosen assessors in the several wards, shall constitute the board of assessors

All the power and authority now by law vested in the board of health for the town of Cambridge, shall be transferred to, and vested in, the city council, to be carried into execution by the appointment of health commissioners, or in such other manner as the city council may deem expedient.

There hereby is established, within the city of Cambridge, a police court, to consist of one learned, able and discreet person, to be appointed and commissioned by the Governor, pursuant to the Constitution, to take cognizance of all crimes, offences and misdemeanors, committed within the city of Cambridge, whereof justices of the peace now have, or may hereafter have, jurisdiction. And the court hereby established shall hear and determine all suits, complaints and prosecutions, in like manner as is by law provided for the exercise of the powers and authority which are or may be vested in justices of the peace, and do all acts necessary to, and consistent with, such powers and authority.

There shall be appointed by the Governor, by and with the advice and consent of the council, two special justices of said court, and whenever it shall happen that the standing justice of said court shall be interested in any suit or prosecution, cognizable in said court, or shall, from any cause, be unable to hear and determine any matter or thing pending therein, the cause shall be assigned on the record by the standing or special justice, and the court shall be held, and its jurisdiction exercised, by one of said special justices.

Prior to every election, the mayor and aldermen shall make out lists of all the citizens of each ward qualified to vote in such elections

General meetings of the citizens qualified to vote may, from time to time, be held, to consult upon the public good, to instruct their representatives, and to take all lawful measures to obtain redress of any grievances, according to the right secured to the people by the Constitution of this Commonwealth; and such meetings may, and shall be duly warned by the mayor and aldermen, upon the requisition of thirty qualified voters.

Pre-1891 Charter (including amendments from 1846 through 1891)

the government thereof, shall be vested in one principal officer, to be styled the mayor; one council of six, to be denominated the board of aldermen; and one council of twenty, to be denominated the board of common council, – which two boards shall, in their joint capacity, be denominated the city council.

The mayor and aldermen shall be chosen by the inhabitants of the city at large, voting in their respective wards.

The members of the common council shall be apportioned among the several wards, as nearly as may be, according to the number of inhabitants therein; and each ward shall elect the number of common councilmen to which it shall be entitled on such apportionment, from persons who shall be residents in the ward by which they shall be chosen.

The city of Cambridge hereby is, and shall continue to be, divided in to three wards; and the boundaries thereof shall be the same as the boundaries of the wards into which the town of Cambridge is now divided.

For the first five years after the passage of this act, the ward now known as ward number one shall elect five members of the common council; the ward now known as ward number two shall elect nine members of the common council; and the ward now known as ward number three shall elect three members of the common council.

All meetings of the inhabitants for the purpose of voting at elections, or for the transaction of municipal affairs, whether in general or in ward meetings, shall be holden in pursuance of warrants for that purpose, which shall be issued by the mayor and aldermen

Each ward, at the annual meeting, shall choose for itself a warden, clerk and three inspectors

The warden shall preside at all ward meetings, and shall be invested with all the powers, and shall perform all the duties, of a moderator of town meetings.

Each ward shall also, at the annual meeting, choose the number of common councilmen which it shall be entitled to elect.

The qualified voters in each ward shall, at the annual meeting, give in to the warden and inspectors their votes for a mayor and six aldermen

mayor and aldermen, respectively, by a majority of votes in all the wards

The mayor, this chosen and qualified, shall be the chief executive officer of the city. He shall cause the laws and regulations of the city to he executed and enforced. He shall exercise a general supervision over the conduct of all subordinate officers, and cause their violation or neglect of duty to be punished.

He shall preside in the board of aldermen, and in joint meeting of the two boards; but shall have a casting vote only. He shall have the exclusive power of nominations in all cases in which appointment are directed to be made by the mayor and aldermen; but such nominations shall be confirmed or rejected by the board of aldermen. He shall be ex officio chairman of the school committee, and of the board of overseers of the poor.

His salary for the first year under this charter shall be six hundred dollars, and no more.

The mayor and aldermen shall compose one board, and shall sit and act together as one body, at all meetings of which the mayor shall preside

The executive powers of the city and the administration of police, with all the powers heretofore vested by law in the selectmen of Cambridge, shall be vested in the mayor and aldermen

They shall have power to grant licenses to innholders and victuallers, and retailers within the city, in the same manner as the mayor and aldermen of the city of Boston now have by provision of law.

The mayor and aldermen shall issue their warrant for a general meeting of the inhabitants, for any constitutional or legal purpose, whenever requested so to do, in writing, by thirty legal voters.

The persons chosen and qualified as members of the common council shall sit and act together as one body, distinct from the mayor and aldermen, except when the two bodies are required to meet and act in convention.

All the powers now vested by law in the town of Cambridge, or in the inhabitants thereof, as a municipal corporation, shall be vested in the city council, composed as provided in the second section, and shall be exercised by concurrent vote, each board having a negative on the other.

All the power and authority now vested by law in the board of health for the town of Cambridge shall be transferred to, and vested in, the city council, and shall be carried into execution by the appointment of health commissioners, or in such other manner as the city council shall determine.

The city council shall have the power to provide for the appointment or election of all necessary offices for the good government of the city, not otherwise provided for, and to prescribe their duties and fix their compensation; but no person shall be elected by the city council, or appointed by the mayor and aldermen, to any office of emolument, who, at the time of his election or appointment, shall be a member of the board of aldermen, or of the common council.

The city council shall also, in the month of April, annually, in convention and by joint ballot, elect a city treasurer, a collector of taxes, and all other subordinate officers, who are not chosen by the inhabitants or appointed by the mayor and aldermen; and shall also fill all vacancies which shall exist in the boards of assessors, assistant assessors, overseers of the poor, or school committee, by reason of a failure to elect by the inhabitants at the annual meeting.

The city council shall, in the month of January, in the year one thousand eight hundred and fifty-one, and once in every five years thereafter, determine the number of members of the common council which each ward shall be entitled to elect, as provided in the second section.

The qualified voters of the city, at the annual meeting, shall choose seven persons for a school committee, two of whom shall be residents in ward number one, three in ward number two, and two in ward number three; six persons to be overseers of the poor, two of whom shall be residents in each ward; three persons to be assessors one of whom shall be a resident in each ward; and such number of assistant assessors as the city council shall determine.

Acts of 1853
The election of mayor, aldermen, and common councilmen, and such other officers of the city of Cambridge as are now by law to be chosen on the first Monday in March annually, shall in future be made on the first Monday in December annually

The election of a city clerk, a city treasurer, and a collector of taxes, who are now by law to be chosen, and all vacancies which are now by law required to be filled, by the city council, in the month of April annually, shall in future be respectively made and filled by the city council in the month of January annually

The boundaries of the several wards, and the number of members of the common council which each ward shall be entitled to elect, shall continue to be the same as at present established, until the month of October, in the year one thousand eight hundred and fifty-six; at which time, and once in every five years thereafter, the city council shall revise the same, and make such alterations therein, in like form and manner, as are prescribed in the act to which this is in addition.

Acts of 1857
The qualified voters of the city of Cambridge, at their annual meeting for the election of municipal officers, first to be held after the passage of this act, shall elect three persons to be assessors; and the person who receives the highest number of votes, or in case two or more persons receive an equal number of votes, the person who is senior by age, shall hold the office for three years, and until another is chosen and qualified in his stead; and the person who receive the next highest number of votes, or who is senior by age in the contingency aforesaid, shall hold the office for two years, and until another is chosen and qualified in his stead; and the other person shall hold the office for one year, and until another is chosen and qualified in his stead; and at every subsequent election one person shall be chosen to be an assessor for three years, and until another is chosen and qualified in his stead; and the persons thus chosen assessors shall constitute the board of assessors

The qualified voters of the city, at the annual meeting, shall choose ten persons for a school committee, three of whom shall he residents of ward numbered one, four of ward numbered two, and three of ward numbered three; but whenever the number of wards shall be increased to four, there shall be chosen two from each ward, and two at large; and whenever a greater number of wards shall be constituted, there shall be chosen two from each ward.

In addition to the election of officers in the month of January, provided for in the “Act in addition to ‘An Act to establish the city of Cambridge,’” approved April fourteenth, on thousand eight hundred and fifty-three, the city council shall, in the month of January, annually, in convention and by joint ballot elect all subordinate officers who are not chosen by the inhabitants, or appointed by the mayor and aldermen; and the doings of the city council in the elect1on of such subordinate officers, for the years one thousand eight hundred and fifty-five, one thousand eight hundred and fifty-six, and one thousand eight hundred and fifty-seven, are hereby confirmed, and shall be as valid and effectual as if the elections had been made in accordance with the provisions of the acts to which this act is in addition.

The boundaries of the several wards, and the number of members of the common council which each shall be entitled to elect, shall continue the same as at present established, until the month of October, in the year one thousand eight hundred and fifty-seven, at which time, and every fifth year thereafter, the city council shall revise the boundaries of the wards, and may increase the number thereof, and apportion the members of the common council to the several wards in accordance with the provisions of the act to which this act is in further addition; provided, however, that the whole number of wards in the city shall not exceed five.

Whenever the number of wards shall be increased, as provided in the preceding section, the number of aldermen shall be increased proportionally, and the inhabitants shall be entitled to elect, annually, a number of aldermen equal to twice the number of wards in the city.

Acts of 1867
The qualified voters of the city of Cambridge, at their annual meeting for the election of municipal officers first to be held after the passage of this act, shall elect a school committee consisting of three persons from each ward, one of whom from each ward shall hold office for the term of one year, one for the term of two years, and one for the term of three years.… After such election shall have been held, there shall be elected annually one person from each ward to serve as a member of the school committee for the term of three years.

Acts of 1869
The mayor of the city of Cambridge shall be ex officio chairman of the school committee, and of the board of overseers of the poor; but shall have a casting vote only.

Every ordinance, order, resolution or vote, to which the concurrence of the board of aldermen and of the common council may be necessary (except on a question of convention of the two branches) , and every order of either branch, involving the expenditure of money, shall be presented to the mayor. lf he approve thereof, he shall signify his approbation by signing the same; but if not, he shall return the same with his objections to the branch in which it originated, which shall enter the objections of the mayor at length on its records, and proceed to reconsider said ordinance, order, resolution or vote; and if, after such reconsideration, two thirds of the board of aldermen or common council, notwithstanding such objections, agree to pass the same, it shall, together with the objections, be sent to the other branch of the city council (if it originally required concurrent action), where it shall also be reconsidered, and if approved by two thirds of the members present, it shall be in force; but in all cases the vote shall be determined by yeas and nays, and if such ordinance, order, resolution or vote shall not be returned within ten days after it shall have been presented, the same shall be in force. But the veto power of the mayor shall not extend to the election of officers, required by any law or ordinance to be chosen by the city council in convention, or by concurrent action, unless expressly so provided therein.

Acts of 1870
The city treasurer of the city of Cambridge shall be the collector of taxes within and for said city.

Acts of 1873 - I
The qualified voters of the city of Cambridge, at the first annual meeting for the election of municipal officers, after the passage of this act, shall elect six persons to be overseers of the poor, two from the district comprising the first and fifth wards, two from the district comprising the second and fourth wards, and two from the district known as the third ward, as said wards are now constituted. The person receiving the highest number of votes in each district shall hold office for two years, and the other person elected shall hold office for one year; provided that in case the two persons elected from a district shall have the same number of votes, the person who is senior in age shall hold office for two years, and the other person shall hold office for one year; and at every subsequent annual meeting for the choice of municipal officers, one person shall be elected overseer of the poor from each district, to hold office for two years, and until his successor is chosen and qualified.

Acts of 1873 - II
The city treasurer of the city of Cambridge may, as collector of taxes, appoint such deputy collectors of taxes he may, from time to time, deem expedient

Acts of 1877
The city council of the city of Cambridge shall, in the month of April in the current year, in joint convention, elect by ballot five persons, one at least from among the residents of each of the present representative districts of said city, to be overseers of the poor in said city, one person for one year, one person for two years, one person for three years, one person for four years, and one person for five years; and said council shall annually thereafter, in the month of April, in like manner elect one person to serve for five years. Those persons so chosen shall, together with the mayor, who shall ex officio be chairman of the board, constitute the board of overseers of the poor in said city of Cambridge.

Said board shall annually, on the first Monday of May, meet and organize, and shall choose such subordinate officers and agents as they may deem expedient, and define their duties, and fix their salaries; but no member of the board shall be eligible to be chosen by said board to any position of emolution.

Acts of 1878
The treasurer and collector of the city of Cambridge may be removed from office at any time for sufficient cause by the mayor, with the consent and approval of three fourths of all the members of each branch of the city council, upon a yea and nay vote.

Acts of 1890
Assistant assessors for the city of Cambridge shall be appointed by the mayor, subject to confirmation by the board of aldermen, as follows: In the month of February in the year eighteen hundred and ninety-one there shall be so appointed and confirmed five persons, one from each ward, to be assistant assessors to serve for the term of one year; and in the month of February annually thereafter there shall be so appointed and confirmed five assistant assessors, one from each ward, to serve for the term of one year. Such persons so appointed and confirmed shall enter upon their duties on the first day of March next after their appointment.

1891 Charter

The administration of the fiscal, prudential, and municipal affairs of said city, and the government thereof, shall be vested in a mayor and a city council, which shall consist of a board of aldermen consisting, until the municipal year beginning on the first Monday in January in the year eighteen hundred and ninety-three, of ten members, and thereafter of eleven members, and a common council consisting of twenty members. Each branch shall sit separately, except when required to meet in joint convention by the provisions of this charter or by a concurrent vote. The mayor and aldermen shall be chosen by the qualified voters of the whole city. The city council shall apportion the members of the common council among the several wards as nearly as may be on the basis of population, and the qualified voters of each ward shall elect from among their number the members of the common council to which it shall be entitled on such apportionment.

The city shall continue to be divided into five wards, which shall retain their present boundaries until the same shall be changed under the general law relating thereto. The present apportionment of councilmen shall be retained until October in the year eighteen hundred and ninety-five. The city council shall, in the month of October in the year eighteen hundred and ninety-five and every fifth year thereafter, apportion the members of the common council to the several wards, in accordance with the provisions of the preceding section.

An annual election for the choice of city officers shall be holden on the Tuesday next following the second Monday in December

The qualified voters of the city shall at each annual election choose one of their number to be assessor for the term of three years, and one person from each ward as a member of the school committee for the term of three years, and shall, at such election, fill for the unexpired term such vacancies as occur at the end of the municipal year.

All meetings of the qualified voters, for the purpose of voting at elections or for the transaction of municipal affairs, whether in city or in ward meetings, shall be holden in pursuance of warrants for that purpose, which shall be issued by the board of aldermen and shall be in such form and served and returned in such manner and at such time as the city council by ordinance shall direct. The board of aldermen shall issue their warrant, for a general meeting of the qualified voters, for any constitutional or legal purpose, whenever requested to do so, in writing, by thirty such voters.

The executive powers of said city and all the executive powers now vested in the mayor and in the board of aldermen, and in the surveyors of highways, shall be and hereby are, vested in the mayor… He shall at all times have the control and direction of the police force.

All officers of the city not elected by the qualified voters shall be resident citizens of the city of Cambridge, and shall, except as herein otherwise provided, be appointed by the mayor, subject to confirmation by the board of aldermen

The mayor after due hearing may, with the approval of a majority of the board of aldermen, remove any member of the board of overseers of the poor or of the board of health, any assistant assessor, any member of the police force or fire department, and any other officer of the city, except the members of the city council and school committee and their clerks and attendants, the principal assessors, the city clerk, the assistant city clerk, the city treasurer, the city auditor, the city messenger, clerk of committees, and city solicitor, for cause assigned by him.

Every ordinance, order, resolution, or vote to which the concurrence of the board of aldermen and of the common council may be necessary, except on a question of the convention of the two branches, and every order of either branch involving expenditure of money, shall be presented to the mayor. If he approve thereof he shall, signify his approval by signing the same; but if not he shall return the same with his objection to the branch in which it originated, which shall enter the objections of the mayor, at length, upon its records and proceed to reconsider said ordinance, order, resolution or vote, and if after such reconsideration two thirds of the board of aldermen or common council, notwithstanding such objections, vote to pass the same, it shall be in force, unless it originally required concurrent action, in which case it shall, together with the objections, be sent to the other branch of the city council, where it shall also be reconsidered, and if approved by two thirds of such other branch, it shall likewise be in force. In all cases the vote shall be taken by yeas and nays. If such ordinance, order, resolution or vote shall not be returned within ten days after it shall have been presented to the mayor, the same shall be in force. He may except from his approval of any ordinance, order, resolution or vote of which he has the power of veto, any portion involving a distinct item of expenditure; in such case, instead of returning the original he shall transmit a copy of such portion not approved, which portion shall be reconsidered in the manner and with the effect above provided. The mayor’s approval shall likewise be required to, and he shall have a similar power of veto, and with like limitations, over any order or vote of the board of aldermen which involves the exercise of any of the powers conferred by law upon the mayor and aldermen, or upon the board of aldermen as a separate board, but nothing herein contained shall affect the powers of said board in relation to votes cast at elections, nor shall the veto power of the mayor extend to elections.

The mayor shall have sole power to sign, seal, execute, and deliver, in behalf of the city, deeds and leases of land sold or leased by the city, and other deeds, agreements, contracts, leases, indentures and assurances on behalf of the city, except as herein otherwise provided.

All the powers now vested by law in the city of Cambridge, or in the inhabitants thereof as a municipal corporation, except as herein otherwise provided, shall be vested in the city council and shall be exercised by a concurrent vote, each branch having a negative on the other. A majority of each branch shall constitute a quorum for the transaction of business. No member of either branch shall receive any compensation for his services.

The city council shall annually in the month of February by concurrent vote, the board of aldermen acting first, elect by ballot a city clerk and assistant city clerk, each of whom shall be sworn to the faithful discharge of his duties and shall hold his office for one year from the first day of March of that year, and until another shall be chosen and qualified, but may be removed however at the pleasure of the city council. The city clerk shall be ex-officio clerk of the board of aldermen.

The city council shall also annually in the month of February, by concurrent vote, the board of aldermen acting first, elect by ballot a city treasurer, who shall be the collector of taxes, and a city auditor… The city council shall also annually in the month of April, by concurrent vote, the board of aldermen acting first, elect a solicitor for the city of Cambridge, who shall be a resident citizen of Cambridge and an attorney and counsellor of the courts of the Commonwealth, and who shall hold office for one year, but may be removed however at the pleasure of the city council.

The city council shall annually in the month March, elect one person to be a member of the board of overseers of the poor, for the term of five years, beginning with the first Monday in May of that year.

Neither the city council nor either branch thereof, nor any member or committee thereof, or of either branch thereof, nor the board of aldermen acting in any capacity in which said board may act separately under special powers conferred upon it, nor any member or committee of said board acting in any such capacity, shall directly or indirectly take part in the employment of labor, nor, except as otherwise provided in this act, in the appointment or removal of any officer or subordinates for whose appointment and removal provision is herein made. No person shall be elected or appointed to any office of emolument who at the time of his election or appointment shall be a member of the board of aldermen or of the common council.

The board of aldermen shall be the final judge of the election and qualification of its members and of the members of the school committee. The board of aldermen shall choose one is members as president, who shall preside at the meetings of the board and at joint conventions of the two branches of the city council. He may at any time call a special meeting of the board of aldermen by causing a notice to be left at the usual dwelling-place of each member. The mayor shall not be a member of, nor preside at any of the meetings, nor appoint any of the committees of the board of aldermen.

The common council shall choose one of its members as president, who shall preside at its meetings, and shall choose a clerk

The school committee and overseers of the poor shall respectively perform all such duties as the school committee and board of overseers of the poor in towns are required by law to perform. The school committee shall annually elect a superintendent of schools and the teachers of the public schools, any of whom shall be removable by vote of the committee. The mayor shall appoint the janitors of school-houses, subject to confirmation by the school committee, and may remove them at pleasure for cause assigned; and such janitors shall perform their duties under the direction of the school committee. The overseers of the poor shall annually on the first Monday of May meet and organize, and shall choose such subordinate officers and agents as they may deem expedient, and define their duties and fix their salaries; but no members of the board shall be eligible to be chosen by said board to any position of emolument.

The city council, the board of aldermen, the common council, and the school committee, may severally employ such clerks and attendants as they may deem proper for the suitable conduct of their business, and may remove the same at pleasure.

All heads of departments and boards of the city, except the chief of police and the chief engineer of the fire department, shall appoint their respective subordinates

The several executive boards of the city and officers at the head of departments shall, in their respective departments, make and execute all necessary contracts for the employment of labor, the supply of materials, and the construction, alteration and repair of all public works and buildings, and have the entire care, custody and management of all public works, institutions and buildings, and other property, and the direction and control of all the executive and administrative business of said city. All executive boards and officers shall be at all times accountable for the proper discharge of their duties to the mayor as the chief executive officer. They, and all subordinate officers shall, at all times, furnish such information as to matters under their control as the mayor or the city council may request.

The heads of departments and all other officers and boards having authority to expend money shall annually before the twentieth day of January, furnish an estimate to the mayor of the money required for their respective departments and offices for one year beginning with the first day of December preceding, and the mayor shall examine such estimates and submit the same with his recommendations thereon to the city council on or before the first day of February. The city council shall thereupon make the appropriation for the financial year beginning with the first day of December preceding.

1915 Charter (Plan B)

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

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 qualified.

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 elected from each ward by and from the qualified voters of that ward, and the remaining members shall be elected by and from the qualified voters of the city. In cities having seven wards or less, the city council shall be composed of eleven members, of whom one shall be elected from each ward by and from the qualified voters of that ward, and the remaining members shall be elected by and from the qualified voters of the city.

… the councillors elected from each ward shall be elected to serve for one year, and those elected at large shall be elected to serve for two years… If the plan adopted provides for elections to be held biennially, at the first regular municipal election held under the provisions of such plan and at each biennial election thereafter, all the councillors whether elected at large or by wards shall be elected to serve for two years from the first day of January following their election and until their successors are qualified.

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 to confirmation by the city council; but the city solicitor shall be appointed, and may be removed, by the mayor, without confirmation by the city council.

Every order, ordinance, resolution and vote relative to the affairs of the city, adopted or passed by the city council, shall be presented to the mayor for his approval. If he approves it he shall sign it; if he disapproves it he shall return it, with his written objections, to the city council, which shall enter the objections at large on its records, and again consider it. If the city council, notwithstanding such disapproval of the mayor, shall again pass such order, ordinance, resolution or vote by a two thirds vote of all its members, it shall then be in force, but such vote shall not be taken for seven days after its return to the city council. Every such order, ordinance, resolution and vote shall be in force if not returned by the mayor within ten days after it has been presented to him. This section shall not apply to budgets submitted under section thirty-two of chapter forty-four or to appropriations by a city council under section thirty-three of said chapter.

1940 Charter (Plan E)

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 following sections.

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 forty-five, inclusive, insofar as not inconsistent; except that the city manager shall have the authority hereinafter specified, that the general management and conduct of the public schools of the city and of the property pertaining thereto shall be vested in the school committee, and that the city clerk, the city auditor, any official of the city appointed by the governor and any trustees or other officers whose election by the voters of the city is required by reason of the fact that the city has accepted any gift, devise or bequest shall have the powers and duties which may be conferred and imposed upon them by law.

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

The city council in any city having seven wards or less at the time of adoption of this plan shall be composed of seven members and the city council in any city having more than seven wards at the time of adoption thereof, nine members. Section eight of chapter thirty-nine shall apply to members of the city council. All trustees or other officers mentioned in section ninety-five shall at each regular municipal election be elected at large for terms of two years each by proportional representation as hereinafter provided.

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.

Thereupon the city council shall, by a majority vote of all the members elected, elect a mayor and a vice-chairman from its own members

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.

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 the city council, he may, with its consent, take command of the police, maintain order and enforce the laws; and he shall have all the authority and powers conferred upon mayors by sections eighteen and nineteen of chapter thirty-three. He shall be chairman of the city council and chairman of the school committee. He shall have no power to veto but shall have the same powers as any other member of either such body to vote upon all measures coming before it.

The city council shall appoint a city manager who shall be sworn to the faithful performance of his duties and who shall be the chief administrative officer of the city and shall be responsible for the administration of all departments, commissions, boards and officers of the city, whether established before its adoption of this plan or thereafter, except that of the city clerk, city auditor, any official appointed by the governor or any body elected by the voters of the city.… No member of the city council shall during his term of office be chosen as city manager, and no person who has within two years been elected to or served in any elective office in the city or in the county in which the city is located shall be chosen as city manager.

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 commonwealth and the ordinances, resolutions and regulations of the city council are faithfully executed; and to make such recommendations to the city council concerning the affairs of the city as may to him seem desirable; to make reports to the city council from time to time upon the affairs of the city; and to keep the city council fully advised of the city’s financial condition and its future needs.… The city manager shall have and possess, and shall exercise, all the powers, rights and duties, other than legislative, had, possessed or exercised, immediately prior to the adoption of this plan, by the mayor, board of aldermen, common council and all other boards, commissions and committees of the city and their members, severally or collectively, except such as are by this chapter conferred upon the school committee or are otherwise provided for thereby.

Such officers and employees as the city council, with the advice of the city manager, shall determine are necessary for the proper administration of the departments, commissions, boards and offices of the city for whose administration the city manager is responsible shall be appointed, and may be removed, by the city manager. The city manager shall report every appointment and removal made by him to the city council at the next meeting thereof following such appointment or removal. The city manager may authorize the head of a department, commission or board, or the holder of an office, for whose administration he is responsible, to appoint and remove subordinates in such department, commission, board or office.

The City Manager shall refer to the City Council and simultaneously file with the Clerk the name of each person the City Manager desires to appoint or reappoint as a member of a board or commission. Appointment of a member of a board or commission made by the City Manager will be effective upon a majority vote of the city council, which vote shall occur within 60 days after the date on which notice of the proposed appointment was filed with the City Clerk. The appointment may be approved or rejected by a majority of the full City Council before 60 days. An appointment or reappointment shall take effect if the City Council fails to act within those 60 days. [added Jan 1, 2022]

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 employees in that portion of the service of said city for whose administration the city manager is responsible. Except for the purpose of inquiry, the city council and its members shall deal with that portion of the service of the city as aforesaid solely through the city manager, and neither the city council nor any member thereof shall give orders to any subordinate of the city manager either publicly or privately. Any member of the city council who violates, or participates in the violation of, any provision of this section shall be punished by a fine of not more than five hundred dollars or by imprisonment for not more than six months, or both, and upon final conviction thereof his office in the city council shall thereby be vacated and he shall never again be eligible for any office or position, elective or otherwise, in the service of the city.

No employee of any department, board or commission of the city shall, directly or indirectly, solicit or receive, or in any manner be concerned in soliciting or receiving any assessment, subscription or contribution for any political party, for any candidate for city office or for any political committee organized on behalf of such candidate. This section shall not prevent such persons from being members of political organizations or committees. The soliciting or receiving of any gift, payment, contribution, assessment, subscription or promise of money or other thing of value by a non-elected political committee organized to promote the candidacy for city office of an employee of any department, board or commission of the city shall not be deemed to be a direct or indirect solicitation or receipt of such contribution by such person, provided, however, that no such gift, payment, contribution, assessment, subscription or promise of money or other thing of value may be solicited or received on behalf of such a person from any person or combination of persons if such person so employed knows or has reason to know that the person or combination of persons has an interest in any particular matter in which the person so employed participates or has participated in the course of such employment or which is the subject of his official responsibility. A person who violates any provision of this section shall be punished by a fine of not more than five hundred dollars or by imprisonment for not more than six months, or both such fine and imprisonment, and upon final conviction thereof the office or position in the service of the city held by such person shall be vacated and such person shall not be eligible for an office or position, elective or otherwise, in the service of the city.

The regular municipal election under this plan shall take place on the Tuesday next following the first Monday of November in every odd numbered year, and all members of the city council, the school committee and any board of trustees or other officers referred to in section ninety-five, and no others, shall be elected at each such election.

Annually the City Council shall prepare and deliver to the City Manager a written review of the City Manager’s performance in a manner provided by ordinance. [added Jan 1, 2022]

Not later than July 1, in each year ending in a 2, the City Council shall provide for a review to be made of the city charter by a special committee to be established by ordinance. All members of the special committee shall be voters of the city not holding elective office. The special committee shall file a report with the City Council within 1 year of its appointment recommending any changes to the city charter which it deems necessary or desirable, unless an extension is authorized by vote of the City Council. Action on any proposed charter changes shall be as authorized by the Massachusetts constitution or general laws. [added Jan 1, 2022]