[HISTORY: Adopted by the Annual Town Meeting
of the Town of Williamstown 2-18-1946, Art. 40, as Bylaw 1. Amendments noted where applicable.]
[Amended 2-6-1990 STM, Art. 1; 5-17-2022 ATM, Art. 32]
All Town Meetings shall be called by the Select
Board in the manner required by law, and attested copies of the warrant
shall be posted in four public places at least seven days before the
Annual Town Meeting and at least 14 days before any Special Town Meeting,
in the Town of Williamstown as well as the United States Post Office
[Amended 5-17-2022 ATM, Art. 32]
The Select Board shall cause its own report
to the Town, together with the reports of the other officers and committees,
to be printed and left at the office of the Town Clerk where they
may be obtained by any voter or taxpayer seven days at least before
the Annual Meeting.
[Amended 5-17-2005 ATM, Art. 24; 5-16-2006 ATM, Art. 3; 5-17-2022 ATM, Art. 32]
Any article to be inserted in the warrant for
the Annual Town Meeting must be submitted to the Select Board on or
before the 45th day preceding said meeting, signed by the required
number of petitioners who must be voters of the Town, and all such
petitions shall be placed in the warrant as presented.
[Amended 2-27-1961 ATM, Art. 41; 2-24-1964 ATM, Art. 31; 5-17-2022 ATM, Art. 32]
A. There shall be a Finance Committee consisting of nine
legal voters of the Town who shall be appointed by the Moderator.
No member of the Select Board nor of the School Committee nor any
other elected or appointed Town officer or Town employee shall, during
the term for which they were elected or appointed, be eligible to
serve on the Finance Committee.
B. The Moderator of the Town Meeting when this bylaw
is adopted, shall, within 30 days after such bylaw becomes effective,
appoint three members of such Committee for terms of one year, three
members for terms of two years and three members for terms of three
years. At each Annual Meeting thereafter the Moderator shall appoint
three members of said Committee for terms of three years. The terms
of office of the members of the Committee shall commence immediately
upon qualification and shall expire at the close of the final adjournment
of the Annual Town Meeting at which their successors are appointed.
The Committee shall annually elect its own Chairperson, Clerk and
other necessary officers. The Committee shall adopt whatever rules
and regulations it deems necessary for the orderly discharge of its
duties. It shall cause to be kept a true record of its proceedings.
C. Any vacancies that occur among the members of the
Committee appointed by the Moderator shall be filled by the Moderator
for the unexpired terms created by such vacancies. If any member is
absent from six consecutive meetings of said Committee, their position
shall be deemed to be vacant and shall be filled as hereinbefore provided
unless such absences are excused by the Chairperson of the Committee.
The Chairperson shall cause suitable notations to be made in the records
of the Committee of the absences of any member that they excuse.
D. All articles in any warrant for a Town Meeting calling
for the expenditure of any Town funds, or the incurring of any financial
obligations by the Town, shall be referred by the Select Board to
the Finance Committee for its consideration. Said Committee shall
report thereon to the Town Meeting, in writing, such recommendations
as it deems best for the interests of the Town and its citizens.
E. It shall be the duty of the Finance Committee annually
to consider the estimated budget requirements for the ensuing year
of the several boards, officers and committees of the Town, as prepared
by the Town Manager. The Committee shall submit a budget at the Annual Town
Meeting with such recommendations and explanations relating to the
proposed appropriations as it may deem expedient, such budget to be
printed and available to the voters seven days at least before the
Annual Meeting.
F. It shall also be the duty of the Finance Committee
to make an annual report of its doings, and to make such recommendations
as its studies may indicate to be desirable, relative to long-range
financial planning and the conduct of the Town business. The Committee
shall work closely with the Planning Board in trying to achieve a
priority for needed major capital outlay improvements consistent with
the present and estimated future ability of the Town to pay.
G. In the discharge of its duties, said Committee shall
have free access to all books of record and accounts, bills and vouchers
on which money has been, or may be, paid from the Town treasury. The
Town Manager shall, upon request, furnish said Committee with such
facts, figures and other information that it may desire pertaining
to its studies of Town financial matters.
H. The Select Board, or the Town Manager, may refer any
other matter, not specifically set out in this section, to the Committee
for its study and recommendation.
I. The terms of office of all members of any Finance
Committee existing on the date this section is adopted shall terminate
on the appointment by the Moderator of a Finance Committee under the
provisions of this section.
All accounts of the Town shall be audited annually
under the supervision of the Director of Accounts of the Department
of Corporations and Taxation of the state, in accordance with the
provisions of MGL C. 44, § 35.
[Amended 2-24-1958 STM, Art. 23; 5-17-2022 ATM, Art. 32]
The Select Board shall meet at least twice a
month for the transaction of business, but may hold such other meetings
as may be deemed necessary. The time and place of the regular meeting
shall be determined at the first meeting of the year and publicly
announced, but may be changed when occasion demands and two weeks
notice is given of such change.
[Amended 5-17-2022 ATM, Art. 32]
All boards and committees shall, immediately
after the Annual Meeting, elect a Chairperson and Clerk and without
delay shall give notice of such elections in writing to the Town Clerk.
They also shall give written notice to the Select Board of the member
or members authorized to attest the statements for audit submitted
to the Select Board for approval and payment.
[Amended 5-17-2022 ATM, Art. 32]
The Select Board shall annually appoint an attorney
at law or a firm of attorneys at law to act as Town Counsel. Such
Town Counsel shall be paid such charges for services as the Board
shall approve.
[Amended 5-17-2022 ATM, Art. 32]
The Select Board shall act as Town agent and
shall have authority, upon recommendation and advice of the Town Counsel,
except as otherwise provided by law, to prosecute, defend and compromise
all litigation or claims to which the Town is a party and to employ
special counsel to assist the Town Counsel whenever in the Board's
judgment necessity therefor arises.
[Added 5-18-1999 ATM, Art. 32]
The Moderator is authorized to take all votes
requiring a 2/3 majority in the same manner in which they conduct
the taking of a vote when a majority vote is required.
[Added 5-16-2006 ATM, Art. 4]
The Town voted to change the term of the Moderator
from one year to three years effective with the 2007 election.