City of Watertown, MA Article 4 OTHER ELECTED OFFICES

SECTION 4-1 SCHOOL COMMITTEE.

(a) Composition - There shall be a school committee of seven members, six of whom shall be nominated and elected by and from the voters at large, and the seventh member shall be the person elected as the council president and school committee member as provided in Section 2-2(b).

(b) Terms of Office - At each biennial election, three school committee members shall be elected at large and shall serve for a four year term. The terms of school committee members shall begin on the first business day of January following their election, and shall continue until their successors are qualified.

(c) Eligibility - Any voter shall be eligible to hold the office of school committee member.

(d) Powers and Duties - The school committee shall have all powers which are conferred on school committees by general laws and such additional powers and duties as may be provided by the charter, by ordinance, or otherwise. Its powers and duties shall include, but are not intended to be limited to the following:

1) To appoint a superintendent of the schools and other employees consistent with the General Laws. The superintendent shall be charged with the day-to-day administration of the school system, subject to policy directives adopted by the school committee;

2) To fix the salaries of those officers and employees as authorized by the General Laws, subject to appropriation and collective bargaining agreements, and to establish educational goals and policies consistent with the requirements of the General Laws and statewide goals and standards, including policies and procedures pursuant to a collective bargaining agreement; and

3) To make all reasonable rules and regulations for the management of the public school system and for conducting the business of the school committee as may be deemed necessary or desirable.

The school committee shall furnish all school buildings with proper fixtures, furniture and equipment and shall provide ordinary maintenance of all school buildings and grounds; provided, however, the city council may, by ordinance, provide for the establishment of a central municipal maintenance department which may include maintenance of school buildings and grounds.

4) Salary - The school committee may provide an annual salary for its members within the annual school department appropriation. No increase in such salary shall be effective, however, unless it shall have been adopted during the first eighteen months after the biennial election of members, and it provides that such salary is to take effect with the organization of the city government following the next biennial election.

5) Expenses - Subject to the school department appropriation, the members of the school committee shall be entitled to reimbursement of their actual and necessary expenses incurred in the performance of their duties.

(e) Filling of Vacancies - (1) If a vacancy shall occur on the school committee during the first 24 months of the term for which school committee members are elected, the vacancy shall be filled by special election held forthwith and no earlier than 64 days from the date the election is called; provided, however, that city council, by vote of not less than 6 councilors, may instead vote to have the vacancy filled by appointment by the remaining members of the school committee from among the voters. (2) If a vacancy shall occur on the school committee during the second 24 months of the term for which the school committee members are elected, the vacancy shall be filled forthwith by appointment by vote of the remaining members of the school committee from among the voters; provided, however, that if approved by not less than six city councilors within 14 days of the date the city council is notified of the vacancy, a special election to fill the vacancy may instead be held forthwith on a date at least 64 days from the date the election is called. The school committee may provide the city council with a non-binding recommendation concerning the manner of selection to be used to fill the vacancy. (3) If an acting school committee member appointed under paragraphs (1) or (2) is not elected to the office at the next city election, or if the position remains vacant, the person certified by the election commission as a successful candidate to the office shall forthwith be sworn and shall serve remainder of the vacant term in addition to the term for which the person is elected. (4) An acting school committee member appointed under paragraphs (1) or (2) shall not be entitled to have the words "candidate for reelection" printed against that person's name on the ballot at the next election.

(f) Council President - The council president shall have the same power as any other member to vote on every matter coming before the school committee.

SECTION 4-2 LIBRARY TRUSTEES.

(a) Composition, Term of Office - There shall be a board of trustees of the public library which shall consist of six persons elected for terms of four years each, so arranged that three such terms shall expire at each biennial city election.

(b) 

Powers and Duties - The board of trustees of the public library shall have the custody and management of the library and reading rooms and of all property of the city devoted to library purposes. All funds raised or appropriated by the city for the support and maintenance of the library shall be expended under the direction of the said board. All funds or property which the city may receive by gift or bequest, or otherwise, for library purposes shall be administered by the said board in accordance with the terms of such gift, bequest or otherwise.

The board of trustees of the public library shall, subject to appropriation, have the following specific powers and duties:

To appoint a director of the library and to set the director's salary within the salary range set by the city manager.

1) The director shall be charged with the day-to-day administration of the library system including appointment, supervision and removal of all other employees connected with the library system, fixing their salaries, defining their duties, and making rules concerning their tenure of office, subject to policy directives adopted by the library trustees and the provisions of any applicable collective bargaining agreement.

2) To make all reasonable rules and regulations for the operation and management of the library system and for the conduct of their own business and affairs as may be deemed necessary or desirable.

The board of trustees of the public library shall in all matters of general municipal policy and procedures be subject to policy directives designed to achieve uniformity and better administrative control as may from time to time be issued by the city manager. Responsibility for the ordinary maintenance of library buildings and grounds may be transferred to a central municipal maintenance department by ordinance adopted by the city council. The board of trustees of the public library shall have all of the other powers and duties as may be provided by general law, by charter, by ordinance or otherwise.

(c) Filling of Vacancies -

(i) If a vacancy shall occur on the board of library trustees during the first 24 months of the term for which library trustees are elected, the vacancy shall be filled by special election held forthwith and no earlier than 64 days from the date the election is called; provided however, that the city council, by a vote of not less than 6 councilors, may instead vote to have the vacancy filled by appointment by the remaining members of the board of library trustees and the council president from among the voters.

(ii) If a vacancy shall occur on the board of library trustees during the second 24 months of the term for which library trustees are elected, the vacancy shall be filled forthwith by appointment by vote of the remaining members of the board of library trustees and the council president from among the voters; provided, however, that if approved by not less than six city councilors within 14 days of the date the city council is notified of the vacancy, a special election to fill the vacancy may instead be held forthwith on a date at least 64 days from the date the election is called.

(iii) If an acting library trustee appointed under paragraphs (1) or (2) is not elected to the office at the next city election, or if the position remains vacant, the person certified by the election commission as a successful candidate to the office shall forthwith be sworn and shall serve the remainder of the vacant term for which the person was elected.

(iv) An acting library trustee appointed under paragraphs (1) or (2) shall not be entitled to have the words "candidate for reelection" printed against the person's name on the ballot at the next election.

(d) Salary - The board of trustees may request an ordinance to provide an annual salary for its members. No ordinance increasing such salary shall be effective, however, unless it shall have been adopted during the first eighteen months after the biennial election of members, and it provides that such salary is to take effect with the organization of the city government following the next biennial election.

(e) Expenses - Subject to appropriation, the members of the board of trustees shall be entitled to reimbursement of their actual and necessary expenses incurred in the performance of their duties.