The members of the city council shall receive a salary for their
services set by ordinance. No ordinance increasing or reducing the
salary of the members of the city council shall be effective unless
it is adopted by a two-thirds vote of the full city council. No ordinance
increasing the salary of councilors shall be effective unless it is
adopted during the first 18 months of the term for which the city
council is elected and it provides that the salary increase is to
take effect upon the organization of the city government following
the next regular city election.
Except as otherwise provided by the General Laws or by this
charter, all powers of the city shall be vested in the city council
which shall provide for the performance of all duties and obligations
imposed upon the city by law.
Subject to appropriation, the city council may employ staff
as it deems necessary.
The mayor shall refer to the city council and simultaneously
file with the city clerk, the name of each person the mayor desires
to appoint as a department head or as a member of a multiple-member
body, but not including any position which is subject to the civil
service law. The city council shall refer each name submitted to a
standing committee of the council which shall review each candidate
for appointment and shall make a recommendation to the full city council
not less than 7 nor more than 45 days after the referral. The committee
may require any person whose name has been referred to appear before
the committee or before the city council to give any information relevant
to the appointment that the committee or the city council may require.
Appointments made by the mayor shall become effective on the forty-fifth
day after the date on which notice of the proposed appointment was
filed with the city clerk unless approved or rejected by the city
council within the 45 days.
If a vacancy in the office of councilor occurs prior to the eighteenth month of the term for which the councilor is elected, the city council shall, under section
8-1, order a special election to be held within 90 days following the date the vacancy is created to fill that vacancy until the next regular city election. The person elected at a special city election shall be sworn to office immediately. If a regular city election is to be held within 120 days following the date the vacancy is created, a special election need not be held and the office shall be filled by the voters at the regular city election. Election to fill the vacant seat of a ward councilor shall be held only in the affected ward, while an election to fill a vacant seat of a councilor-at-large shall be held in all wards of the city.