Town of North Andover, MA CHAPTER 1 Town Incorporation, Form of Government, and Powers

Section 1 Incorporation

1-1-1. The present Town of North Andover, within its territorial limits as now or as may hereafter be established by law, is hereby continued as a body corporate and politic with perpetual succession under the name: Town of North Andover.

Section 2 Form of government

1-2-1. This charter provides for an Open Town Meeting - Select Board - Town Manager form of Town government, and it shall be known by the title: North Andover Home Rule Charter.

[Amended by Chapter 292 of the Acts of 2020, approved 1-8-2021]

1-2-2. The Town of North Andover is committed to the full participation of all citizens and to a policy of equal employment opportunity. The Town will not discriminate against employees, applicants for employment, nor citizens engaged in any Town-sponsored activity on any legally recognized basis, including but not limited to race, age, color, religion, sex, marital status, sexual preference, national origin, disability or veteran status.

Section 3 Scope and construction of Town powers

1-3-1. The Town shall possess, exercise, and enjoy all powers possible under the Constitution and Statutes of the Commonwealth as completely and fully as though they were expressly enumerated herein.

1-3-2. The powers of the Town under this Charter shall be construed liberally in favor of the Town, and no specific provision shall be deemed to limit in any way the general grant of powers that towns may exercise under the Home Rule Amendments to the Constitution of the Commonwealth, and the statutes thereof.

Section 4 Intergovernmental relations

1-4-1. Consistent with any applicable constitutional or statutory provisions, the Town may exercise any of its powers, or perform any of its functions and may participate in the financing thereof, jointly or in cooperation, by contract or otherwise, with any one or more other towns, civil divisions, subdivisions, or agencies of any state or the United States government.

Section 5 Specific provisions to prevail

1-5-1. To the extent that any specific provision of this Charter shall conflict with any provision in general terms, the specific provision shall prevail.

Section 6 Severability of Charter

1-6-1. If any provision of this Charter is held invalid, the other provisions of the Charter shall not be affected thereby. If the application of the Charter or any of its provisions to any person or circumstance is held invalid, the application of this Charter and its provisions to other persons and circumstances shall not be affected thereby.