All executive, legislative, regulatory and administrative bodies of the Town, as the same are defined therein, shall be subject to all State legislative provisions applicable thereto in Title 38, Chapter 2 of the General Laws, defining the public's right to access to records pertaining to the policy-making responsibilities of the government of the Town and subsequent amendments thereof.
The Town Council, School Committee and all other town departments, agencies, commissions, committees, boards and councils, and all subdivisions thereof, shall conduct all business in accordance with the provisions of the open meetings legislation of the State, General Laws Title 42, Chapter 46, as amended from time to time.
All elected and appointed officials of the Town, as the same are defined in state law, shall be subject to the ethics legislation of the State, General Laws Title 36, Chapter 14, as amended from time to time, and to the rules and regulations made by the Ethics Commission pursuant thereto.
Within three months after the beginning of each fiscal year, the Town Council shall arrange for an annual independent audit of the books, accounts and other evidences of financial transactions of the Town, as of the close of the preceding fiscal year, to be conducted either by state auditors or by a certified public accountant holding a certificate from this State and having no personal interest therein. Such examinations shall conform with generally accepted auditing standards. Upon receipt of the audit report, notice of its availability shall be posted in the Town Hall and at least two other places normally used for such postings.
The procedures for amending or revising this Charter shall be as prescribed in Article XIII of the Constitution of the State, provided however, that the Town Council shall schedule at least one public hearing on any amendment or group of amendments, or upon any proposed revision of the Charter, to be held no less than one week prior to the date of the election at which said amendment, amendments or revision are to be voted upon by the electors of the Town. The Town Clerk shall cause the text or texts of all proposed amendments or revisions to be posted in the Town Hall and at least two other places in the Town normally used for such postings no less than thirty days before the date of the election at which said amendments or revisions are to be voted upon, and shall have copies available to persons requesting them at the Town Hall. The Town Clerk shall publicize the hearing or hearings scheduled by the Town Council thereon no less than one week in advance, by posting notices of the same in the Town Hall and at least two other places in the Town normally used for such postings.
No less often than every ten years, the Town Council shall appoint a Charter Review Commission of such number of members as the Council shall deem appropriate, whose duty it shall be to review the Charter and recommend to the Council any amendments or revisions which it feels the Council should consider for presentation to the electors of the Town.
If any article, section or provision of this Charter is held invalid by a court of competent jurisdiction, the remainder of the Charter shall not be affected thereby. All provisions of this Charter shall be interpreted liberally and in the manner most favorable to the Town, and least restrictive of its powers and prerogatives.
All elected, appointed and employed officials of the Town shall, before entering upon the duties of their respective offices, take the following oath of office:
I, _____________ , do solemnly swear (or affirm) that I will faithfully and impartially discharge the duties of the office of _________ according to the best of my abilities, and that I will support the Charter granted to New Shoreham in 1672, the Home Rule Charter of the Town, the Constitution and laws of this State, and the Constitution of the United States, so help me God. (Or: This affirmation I make and give upon the peril of the penalty of perjury.)
For the purposes of this Charter, notaries public, justices of the peace, and volunteer firemen shall not be considered elected, appointed or employed officials of the town government nor town employees.