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Town of Braintree, MA
Norfolk County
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Table of Contents
Table of Contents
Code
New Laws (37) Index Notes (2)
[HISTORY: Adopted by the Town Council of the Town of Braintree 5-18-2010 by Ord. No. 09-053. Amendments noted where applicable.]
GENERAL REFERENCES
Charter provisions — See Charter Art. 2.
(See Charter Section 2-1.) The Town Council is comprised of nine members, three of whom are members, known as Councilors-at-Large, who are nominated and elected by and from the voters at large. The six remaining members, known as District Councilors, are nominated and elected from each of the six districts into which the Town is divided, in accordance with Section 7-5 of the Charter. The term of office for all Town Councilors shall be two years, beginning on the first business day of January.
The Town Council shall receive an annual salary, which shall be paid in monthly installments. The annual salaries are as follows:
A. 
Councilors: $5,000.
B. 
President of the Council: $7,500.
C. 
Expenses as described in Section 2-4 of the Town Charter.
A. 
The legislative powers of the Town are vested in the Town Council. The Town Council shall exercise its legislative powers in the manner determined by the Town Council, unless some other provision is made by a General Law, Town ordinance, or by the Charter.
B. 
The Town Council may adopt ordinances which originate with the Mayor on any subject relating to the affairs of the Town. The Town Council may adopt ordinances which originate with it or are filed on petition of voters as provided in Section 7-7 of the Charter on any subject relating to the affairs of the Town, except as provided in Section 5-1 of the Charter.
C. 
All ordinances adopted by the Town Council shall be presented to the Mayor as provided in Section 3-7 of the Charter.
D. 
In accordance with the provisions of Sections 2-10 and 3-3 of the Charter, the Town Council shall review appointments made by the Mayor to any Town office, as a department director, or as a member of a multiple member body, but not including any position which is subject to the Civil Service Law. Appointments made by the Mayor shall take effect on the 30th day after the date on which notice of the appointment was filed with the Clerk of the Council, unless six members of the Town Council shall, within those 30 days, vote to reject the appointment, or unless the Town Council has sooner voted to affirm the appointment.
E. 
Subject to appropriation, the Town Council may appoint and employ employees, assistants, and agents which are necessary for the proper conduct of offices under their jurisdiction.
F. 
Exercise of powers, quorum, rules and access of information shall be as described in Section 2-6 and Section 2-7 of the Town Charter.[1]
[1]
Editor's Note: Amended at time of adoption of Code (see Ch. 1.10, Adoption of Code).
A. 
All meetings of the Town Council and of every committee or subcommittee of the Town Council are subject to the Open Meeting Law, MGL c. 39, § 23B.[1]
[1]
Editor's Note: MGL c. 39, § 23B was repealed by St. 2009, c. 28, § 20. See now MGL c. 30A, § 20.
B. 
All matters which come before the Town Council will be decided by a majority vote unless some other provision is made by General Law, ordinance, or the Charter.
C. 
A record shall be kept for every meeting, indicating the names of the Council members present, the subject acted upon, and the votes and other official actions taken by the Town Council at each such meeting.
D. 
Regular meetings of the Town Council shall be held in the Horace Cahill Auditorium at Town Hall on the first and third Tuesday evenings of each month, commencing at 7:30 p.m. The Clerk of the Council shall notify the Councilors of all meetings of the Council. The Council may, by majority vote, dispense with any regular meeting, or change the day and hour of holding any regular meeting. No Town Council meeting shall be scheduled on the eve or day of a preliminary or final election in the Town.
E. 
The Town Council may enter into executive session, pursuant to the provisions of MGL c. 39, § 23B,[2] only after the Council has first convened in open session for which notice has been appropriately posted. The President shall cite the reason for going into executive session and indicate whether the Council shall leave executive session for the purpose of adjournment or return to open session. The President shall ask for a roll call vote of the Council to enter into executive session, and all votes taken by the Council in executive session shall be by roll call vote.
[2]
Editor's Note: MGL c. 39, § 23B was repealed by St. 2009, c. 28, § 20. See now MGL c. 30A, § 21.
If a person behaves in a disorderly manner during any meeting of the Town Council, and after notice from the presiding officer, said person persists in such disorderly conduct, the presiding officer may order him/her to withdraw from the meeting, and if such person refuses to leave, the presiding officer may request that a police officer or other person remove the offender from the meeting.