The inhabitants of the Town of West Springfield, within the
territorial limits established by law, shall continue to be a municipal
corporation, a body corporate and politic, under the name "Town of
West Springfield."
This instrument shall be known and may be cited as the "West
Springfield Home Rule Charter."
The administration of the fiscal, prudential and municipal affairs
of West Springfield, with the government thereof, shall be vested
in an executive/administrative branch headed by a Mayor, and a legislative
branch to consist of a Town Council. The legislative branch shall
never exercise any executive/administrative power and the executive/administrative
branch shall never exercise any legislative power.
Subject only to express limitations on the exercise of any power
or function by a municipal government in the Constitution or General
Laws of the Commonwealth, it is the intention and the purpose of the
voters of West Springfield through the adoption of this Charter to
secure for themselves and their government all of the powers it is
possible to secure as fully and as completely as though each such
power were specifically and individually enumerated herein.
The powers of the Town of West Springfield under this Charter are to be construed liberally in favor of the Town, and the specific mention of any particular power is not intended to limit the general powers of the Town as stated in Section
1-4.
Subject only to express limitations in the Constitution or General
Laws of the Commonwealth, West Springfield 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 the Commonwealth or any agency or political subdivision thereof,
or with the United States government or any agency thereof.
[Amended 11-3-2015]
Unless another meaning is clearly apparent from the manner in
which the word is used, the following words as used in this Charter
shall have the following meanings:
(a) Advisory Committee - A body
appointed by the Mayor solely for the purpose of advising the Mayor
on a decision that the Mayor could make alone.
(b) Charter - This Charter and
any amendments to it that may hereafter be adopted.
(c) Days - Business days, not
including Saturdays, Sundays and legal holidays when the time set
is less than seven days; when the time set is seven days or more,
every day shall be counted. When the last day falls on a Saturday,
Sunday or legal holiday the period shall be extended to the end of
the next day which is not a Saturday, Sunday or legal holiday.
(d) Emergency - A sudden, unexpected,
unforeseen happening, occurrence, event or condition which necessitates
immediate action.
(e) general laws (all lowercase
letters) - Laws which apply alike to all cities and towns, to all
cities, or to a class of municipalities of which West Springfield
is a member.
(f) General Laws (used with initial
capital letters) - The General Laws of Massachusetts, a codification
and revision of statutes enacted on December 22, 1920, and including
all amendments thereto subsequently adopted.
(g) Library - The West Springfield
Public Library, and any branch or branches which may be established
thereof.
(h) Local Newspaper - A newspaper
of general circulation in the Town of West Springfield.
(i) Majority Vote - A majority
of those present and voting, provided that a quorum of the body is
present when the vote is taken, unless a higher number is required
by law.
(j) Multiple-Member Body - Any
council, commission, committee, subcommittee or other body consisting
of two or more persons whether elected, appointed or otherwise constituted,
but not including the city council, the school committee or an advisory
committee appointed by the Mayor.
(k) Quorum - A majority of the
members of a multiple-member body notwithstanding any vacancies which
might then exist.
(l) Town - The Town of West Springfield.
(m) Town Agency - Any board,
commission, committee, department, division or office of the Town
government.
(n) Town Bulletin Board - The
bulletin board in the Town Hall on which official Town notices are
posted and those at other locations within the Town which may from
time to time be designated as Town bulletin boards by ordinance, or
by other vote of the Town Council.
(o) Town Officer - A person having
charge of an office or department of the Town who in the exercise
of the powers or duties of that position exercises some portion of
the sovereign power of the Town.
(p) Voters - Registered voters
of the Town of West Springfield.