(a) 
Composition - There shall be a city council of nine members which shall exercise the legislative powers of the city. Four of these members, to be known as councilors-at-large, shall be nominated and elected by and from the voters at large. Four of these members, to be known as district councilors, shall be nominated and elected by and from the voters of each district, one such district councilor to be elected from each of the four council districts into which the city is divided, in accordance with section 7-6. The ninth member of the city council shall be a council president, elected as provided in section 2-2.
(b) 
Term of Office - The terms of city councilors shall be for two years each, beginning on the first business day of January in the year following their election, until their successors have been qualified.
(c) 
Eligibility - Any voter shall be eligible to hold the office of councilor-at-large. A district councilor shall at the time of election be a voter of the district from which the councilor is elected, provided, however if any such district councilor shall during the term for which the councilor was elected move to another district in the city, or be so removed by a revision of district lines, such councilor may continue to serve for the balance of the term for which the councilor was elected.
(a) 
Election and Term - A council president shall be nominated and elected by and from the voters at large at each biennial election to serve for a term of two years, beginning on the first business day of January following the election and until a successor is qualified.
(b) 
Powers and Duties - The council president shall be recognized as the official head of the city for all ceremonial purposes and shall be recognized by the courts for the purposes of serving civil process.
The council president shall be the presiding officer of the city council. The council president shall have no power of veto but shall have the same powers as any other member of the city council to vote upon all measures coming before it. The council president shall be responsible for coordinating the development of council goals and policies, and for facilitating the development, periodic review, and updating of a long-term vision for the city, in collaboration with the council, the city manager, and members of the public. The council may vote to designate the council president the council's temporary spokesperson during emergencies or for specific topics, and the council may also vote to revoke such designation. The council president shall perform such other duties consistent with the office as may be provided by charter, by ordinance, or by vote of the city council.
The council president shall also serve as a member of the school committee and shall update the council regularly on school committee matters. The officer provided for in this section shall be referred to as "council president", but ballots used in electing the said office shall contain the words "council president and member of school committee."
(c) 
Council Vice President - As soon as practicable after the councilors elect have been qualified following each biennial election, the city council shall elect from among its members a vice president who shall act as president during the absence or disability of the council president.
(a) 
Salary - The city council may, by ordinance, provide an annual salary for its members. No ordinance increasing or decreasing such salary shall be effective, however, unless it shall have been adopted during the first eighteen months of the term for which city councilors are elected, and it provides that such salary is to take effect with the organization of the city government following the next biennial election.
(b) 
Expenses - Subject to appropriation, the council members shall be entitled to reimbursement of their actual and necessary expenses incurred in the performance of their duties.
(a) 
Except as otherwise provided by general law or by this charter, all powers of the city shall be vested in the city council which shall provide for their exercise and for the performance of all duties and obligations imposed upon the city by law. The city may enter into contracts for the exercise of its corporate powers on such terms and conditions as are authorized by the city council by ordinance.
(b) 
The powers exercised by the city council include the establishment of policies to guide the administrative branch in its exercise of administrative power. Such policies shall be reflected in the city council's votes, resolutions, ordinances, appropriation orders, and loan authorizations.
(a) 
Exercise of Powers - Except as otherwise provided by general law or by this charter, the legislative powers of the city council may be exercised in a manner determined by it.
(b) 
Quorum - The presence of five members shall constitute a quorum for the transaction of business, but a smaller number may meet and adjourn from time to time. Except as otherwise provided by general law or by this charter the affirmative vote of five members shall be required to adopt any ordinance or appropriation order.
(c) 
Rules of Procedure - The city council shall from time to time adopt rules regulating it procedures, which shall be in addition to the following:
(i) 
Regular meetings of the city council shall be held at a time and place fixed by ordinance.
(ii) 
Special meetings of the city council shall be held at the call of the council president, or, on the call of any three or more members, by written notice delivered to each member and which contains a listing of the items to be acted upon. Except in case of an emergency, of which the council president shall be judge, such notice shall be posted upon the city bulletin board at least forty-eight week-day hours excluding Saturdays, Sundays and legal holidays in advance of the time set for such meeting.
(iii) 
All sessions of the city council and of every committee or sub committee thereof, shall at all times be open to the public and to the press, unless another provision is made by law.
(iv) 
A full, accurate, up-to-date account of the proceedings of the city council shall be kept, which shall include a record of each vote taken, and which shall be made available with reasonable promptness following each meeting.
(v) 
All public comments and questions made during the public forum section of meetings, and resulting answers, shall be included on the city website. Replies provided after the meeting shall be added when the reply is made. All councilor requests for information from the city manager or other city officers and replies made during the meeting shall be included on the city website. Replies provided after the meeting shall be added when the reply is made. If any information requested is prohibited from disclosure by the state public records law, the city's reply shall so state.
(a) 
In General - The city council may make investigations into the affairs of the city and into the conduct and performance of any city agency and for this purpose may subpoena witnesses, administer oaths and require the production of evidence.
(b) 
City Officers, Members of Town Agencies, Employees - The city council may require any city officer, member of a city agency or city employee to appear before it to give such information as the city council may require in relation to the municipal services, functions, powers, or duties which are within the scope of responsibility of such person.
(c) 
City Manager - The city council may require the city manager to appear before it at any time to provide specific information on the conduct of any aspect of the business of the city which is within his or her control by or under this charter or by or under any statute or law.
The city manager may on any such occasion bring any assistant, department head or other city officer or employee or other resources to assist the manager in responding to questions which may be posed to the manager.
(d) 
Notice - Except in cases of emergency the city council shall give not less than five days notice in writing to any person it may request to appear before it under the provisions of this section. The notice shall include specific questions on which the city council seeks information, and no person called to appear before the city council under this section shall be required to respond to any question not relevant or related to those presented to the person in advance and in writing. Notice shall be by delivery in hand, or by electronic mail (with notification of receipt requested), by registered or certified mail to the last known place of residence of any such person.
(a) 
City Auditor - The city council, by the affirmative vote of at least five members, shall appoint a city auditor for an indefinite term of office.
The City auditor shall be appointed solely on the basis of his or her professional qualifications and experience.
The city auditor shall keep and have charge of the accounts of the city and shall from time to time audit the books and accounts of all city agencies. The city auditor shall have such other powers and duties as provided for auditors and accountants by general laws and such additional powers and duties as may be provided by the charter, by ordinance or by other vote of the city council.
(b) 
Clerk of the Council - The city council shall appoint, and may remove at its discretion a person nominated by the council president, who may be the city clerk, to serve as clerk for a term of three years and until his or her successor is chosen and qualified. The clerk of the council shall give notice of its meetings to its members and to the public, keep the journal of its proceedings and perform such other duties as may be provided by ordinance or by other vote of the city council.
(c) 
Analyst - The city council, by the affirmative vote of at least five members, shall appoint a council analyst, who may serve in a full-time or part-time capacity, for a term of three years. The analyst shall provide assistance with legislative oversight and research, and shall not be involved in the day-to-day administrative detail of the operations of the city. The analyst shall make periodic reports to the council, with such frequency as the council by ordinance, by rule, or by other vote may direct, but not less frequently than quarterly. All officials of the city shall cooperate with the analyst in the performance of this oversight function. The analyst shall have such other powers and duties as may be provided by charter, by ordinance, or by other vote of the council.
(d) 
Additional Staff - The council may establish additional council support positions and consultants by ordinance as the council deems necessary and may by the affirmative vote of at least five members appoint staff to serve in those positions. All officials of the city shall cooperate with employees and consultants of the city council in the performance of their oversight functions.
(e) 
Salaries - The officers appointed under Section 2-7 shall receive such salaries as may from time to time be provided for such office by ordinance.
(f) 
Supervision - The council president shall be responsible for day-to-day supervision of the city auditor and clerk of the council, including but not limited to discipline of same up to and including an unpaid suspension of not more than five days; provided, however, that the council president may, at the council president's sole discretion, bring to the city council any personnel matter involving the city auditor or clerk of the council for appropriate action, and provided further that the affirmative vote at least five members of the city council shall be required to remove the city auditor or clerk of the council.
(a) 
Emergency Ordinances - No ordinance shall be passed finally on the date it is introduced, except in case of special emergency involving the health or safety of the people or their property.
No ordinance shall be regarded as an emergency ordinance unless the emergency is defined and declared in a preamble to such ordinance, separately voted upon and receiving the affirmative vote of six members of the city council.
No ordinance making a grant, renewal or extension, whatever its kind or nature, of any franchise or special privilege of any kind or nature shall be passed as an emergency measure, and except as provided in sections seventy and seventy-one of chapter one-hundred sixty-four and in chapter one-hundred sixty-six of the General Laws, no such grant, renewal or extension shall be made otherwise than by ordinance.
Emergency ordinances shall stand repealed on the sixty-first day following their adoption, unless an earlier expiration date is specified in the emergency ordinance, or unless a measure passed in conformity with the procedures for measures generally has been passed extending it.
(b) 
Measures, In General - Excepting only proposed ordinances, appropriation orders and loan authorizations, the city council may pass any other measure through all of its stages at any one meeting, provided that no member of the city council shall object; but, if any single member objects, a vote on the measure shall be postponed to the next meeting of the city council.
On the first occasion that the question of adopting any measure is put to the city council, except an emergency measure as defined in section 2-9(a), if a single member objects to the taking of a vote, the vote shall be postponed until the next meeting of the city council regular or special. If when the matter is next taken up for a vote, four or more members object to the taking of the vote, the matter shall be further postponed for not less than an additional five days. This procedure shall not be used more than once for any measure, notwithstanding any amendment made to the original measure.
(c) 
Publication - Every proposed ordinance, appropriation order or loan authorization [except emergency ordinances as provided in section 2-9(a)], shall be published once in full in a local newspaper, and in any additional manner as may be provided by ordinance, at least five days before its final passage. After final passage it shall be posted on the city bulletin board and otherwise published as may be required by ordinance. Provided, however, that whenever a proposed ordinance or codification of ordinances or other measure would exceed in length ten column inches, then in lieu of publication in a local newspaper, the same may be published and made available at the office of the city clerk in booklet or pamphlet form and posted on the city website, and if so published and available at least ten days before its final passage shall be deemed sufficient notice. Whenever the city council provides for publication in a booklet or pamphlet form in lieu of the newspaper publication, it shall, at least five days before final passage publish in a local newspaper a general summary of the proposed ordinance, or ordinances, and a notice stating the times and places at which copies of the booklet or pamphlet may be obtained or reviewed by the public.
(d) 
Following each council meeting, the clerk of the council shall post on a dedicated space on the city website and place on file in the city clerk's office all city council votes, resolutions, ordinances, appropriation orders, and loan authorizations.
(a) 
Vacancies in the First 12 months of the Council Term - If a vacancy shall occur in the office of council president, councilor-at-large, or district councilor during the first 12 months of the term for which councilors are elected, the vacancy shall be filled by a special election to be held at least 64 days but not more than 120 days after the date the election is called; provided, however, that the city council may, by vote of not less than 6 councilors, instead appoint an eligible voter to fill the vacancy on the council. Should the seat of a district councilor be vacant, the voter chosen to serve as councilor must be a resident of the district.
(b) 
Vacancies in the Second 12 months of the Council Term - If a vacancy shall occur in the office of council president, councilor-at-large, or district councilor during the second 12 months of the term for which councilors are elected, the council may, by a vote of not less than 6 councilors, vote to call a special election to fill the vacancy at least 64 days but not more than 120 days after the date the election is called, or the council may, by vote of not less than 6 councilors, appoint an eligible voter to fill the vacancy on the council. Should the seat of a district councilor be vacant, the voter chosen to serve as councilor must be a resident of the district.
(c) 
If an acting city councilor appointed under paragraphs (a) or (b) 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 in addition to the term for which the person was elected.
(d) 
An acting city councilor appointed by the city council under paragraphs (a) or (b) shall not be entitled to have the words "candidate for reelection" printed against that person's name on the ballot at the next election.
In addition to the annual budget meeting described in Section 5-1 and any other meetings the council creates by ordinance, the council shall hold the following annual meetings:
(a) 
State of the Town: The council president, in conjunction with the city manager, shall prepare and deliver a yearly message to the residents describing the state of the city. The message will address the financial state of the city, strengths of the city, and areas that need attention, as well as potential opportunities for the betterment of the city.
(b) 
Annual Open Public Forum: The council president shall convene at least 1 meeting of the general public each year for the purpose of obtaining public input to the policies of the city. The meeting agenda and format shall be determined by the city council but shall be designed to facilitate 2-way communication between the city government and residents. Members of the public may submit potential items for the agenda of the meeting in accordance with rules adopted by the city council. The public shall be given at least 14 days' notice of the date and time of such meeting.
(c) 
Individual Councilor Meetings: Each at large and district councilor shall convene at least 1 meeting each year open to all residents. The meeting agenda and format shall be determined by each councilor but shall be designed to facilitate 2-way communication between the councilor and residents. Members of the public may submit potential items for the agenda of the meeting in accordance with rules adopted by the city council. The public shall be given at least 14 days' notice of the date and time of such meeting. Councilors shall schedule these meetings in a way that prevents more than one from occurring at the same date and time.