[Amended 6-4-2018 ATM by Art. 28, approved 9-21-2018]
A. 
Appointment. The Select Board shall annually, in the month of June, appoint a Town Counsel who shall be an attorney- and counselor-at-law. He shall hold office for the term of one (1) year from the first day of July following and until his successor is appointed and qualified.
B. 
Removal. The Select Board shall have the power to remove the Town Counsel at any time if, in their judgment, the interests of the Town so require; and, in the case of a vacancy in the office, the Select Board shall fill the same by a new appointment.
A. 
General. The Town Counsel shall act as the legal advisor of the Town, except in cases in which the Town Meeting or Select Board may authorize or require him to secure the advice or services of additional counsel.
[Amended 6-4-2018 ATM by Art. 28, approved 9-21-2018]
B. 
Legal instruments. It shall be the duty of the Town Counsel to examine or cause to be examined all titles to property in which the Town may acquire an interest; to draft all deeds, obligations, contracts, bonds, leases, conveyances, agreements, and other legal instruments of whatever nature which may be required by any by-law, vote, or action of the Town or any board, committee or commission, or officer to which the Town or its agents may be a party, and which, by law, usage, or agreement, the Town is to be at the expense of drawing. All votes for the laying out, discontinuance, change, or improvement of streets or ways, for the taking lands for any municipal purposes whatever, for the assessment of betterments, and all other forms of assessment, shall be drawn by him or under his direction and approval.
[Amended 10-17-1977 OTM by Art. 14, approved 2-28-1978; 6-4-2018 ATM by Art. 28, approved 9-21-2018]
No Town officer or an elected or appointed board, committee, or commission, except the School Committee, shall retain for any monetary consideration the services of any attorney- or counselor-at-law other than the Town Counsel with regard to any Town business, provided, nevertheless, that by a majority vote of the Select Board or a majority vote of a Town Meeting, other counsel may be provided for any Town officer or board, committee, or commission requesting the same.[1]
[1]
Editor's Note: Original Sec. 6.6, Expenditures exceeding $4,000, which immediately followed this section, as amended 4-22-1974 ATM by Art. 34, approved 5-24-1974; 11-6-1978 ATM by Art. 24, approved 2-6-1979; and 4-7-1983 ATM by Art. 14, approved 5-5-1983, was deleted 10-1-1990 OTM by Art. 4, approved 12-18-1990, and 10-16-1997 OTM by Art. 11, approved 1-29-1998.