[Adopted 5-17-1993 as
Ch. 2.24 of the 1993 Code]
The Mayor shall annually appoint a City Solicitor who shall
have charge of the Law Department and such Assistant Solicitors as
may be required. Such officer shall hold office for a term of one
year and until his successor has been appointed and qualified.
A.
The City Solicitor shall have charge of and perform, under direction
of the Mayor, all the law business of the City except as otherwise
provided. He shall initiate and prosecute all actions, suits and other
legal proceedings founded upon any claim, demand, right or privilege
of the City or any department or administrative board thereof. He
shall appear in defense of any action, suit or proceeding which may
be brought against the City or any of its officers or any administrative
board in its official capacity, or wherein any right, privilege, property,
estate, act or franchise of the City may be affected or brought into
question, before any court, board of commissioners, or committee of
the General Court of this commonwealth. He shall prepare all legal
instruments which may be required of him by the Mayor and shall, when
requested by the Mayor or the City Council, furnish a written opinion
on any legal question which may be submitted to him in regard to any
matter relating to the City or its affairs.
B.
This section shall not prevent the engagement of special counsel
to prosecute particular cases whenever authorized by the City Council
and an appropriation is provided to be expended under the direction
of a branch, department or the Mayor, as designated by the City Council.
The City Solicitor shall investigate the facts in relation to
accidents reported to him by the Chief of Police or any other City
official. He shall keep a record of the same together with the names
and addresses of the witnesses and may incur any reasonable expense
in doing the same, provided that all bills contracted by him for such
purposes shall be subject to the approval of the Mayor.
A.
The City Solicitor may be allowed such sums as the Mayor and City
Council may determine for the examination of the title to any real
estate in which the City has or proposes to acquire an interest.
B.
He shall prepare all legal papers necessary to transfer the title
to any real estate to the City which the City may acquire either by
purchase, right of eminent domain or otherwise.
C.
He shall prepare all legal papers relating to the taking of any land
by the City for any purpose by right of eminent domain or otherwise.
He shall prepare all orders of the City Council relating to or connected
with the taking of any land or any interest therein.
