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.