The inhabitants of the Town of Barnstable, Massachusetts,
within its territorial limits as now or may hereafter be established
by law, shall continue to be a body politic and corporate, known as
the "Town of Barnstable."
This instrument may be cited and shall be known
as the Barnstable Home Rule Charter.
All legislative powers of the town shall be
exercised by a town council. The administration of all town fiscal,
business and municipal affairs shall be vested in the executive branch
headed by the town manager.
The intent and purpose of this charter is to
secure for the voters of the Town of Barnstable, through the adoption
of this charter, all the powers possible to secure for their government
under Article LXXXIX of the Amendments to the Constitution of the
Commonwealth and laws of the Commonwealth, as fully and as though
each such power were specifically and individually enumerated herein.
The Town of Barnstable shall constitutionally have a city form of
government.
The powers of the town under the charter shall be construed and interpreted liberally in favor of the town, and the specific mention of any particular power is not intended to limit in any way the general powers of the town as stated in section 1-4.
The town may enter into agreements with any
other unit of government to perform jointly or in cooperation, by
contract or otherwise, any of its powers or functions.
The Town Seal in existence at the time this
charter is adopted, unless the town council shall adopt another, shall
continue to be the Town Seal and shall be kept in the custody of the
town clerk. Papers or documents issued from any office or board of
the town may be attested by use of said seal.
