This charter may be replaced, revised or amended in accordance with any procedure made available under the state constitution, or by statutes enacted in accordance with the state constitution.
The provisions of this charter are severable. If any provision of this charter is held invalid the other provisions shall not be affected by this holding. If the application of this charter, or any of its provisions, to any person or circumstance is held invalid, the application of the charter and its provisions to other persons and circumstances shall not be affected thereby.
A copy of all rules and regulations adopted by any city agency shall be placed on file in the office of the city clerk and shall be available for review by any person who requests such information at any reasonable time. Unless an emergency exists as determined by the mayor, no rule or regulation adopted by any city agency shall become effective until 5 days following the date it is so filed.
Not later than the first day of July, at 10 year intervals, in each year ending in a 5, the mayor and city council shall provide for a review to be made of the ordinances of the city for the purpose of preparing a proposed revision or recodification of them, without substantive change. This review shall be made by a special committee to consist of 9 members, 6 of whom shall be appointed by the city council president and 3 of whom shall be appointed by the mayor. At least 2 of the persons appointed by the city council president shall be members of the city council and all of the remaining members shall be voters of the city. The special committee shall file its report with the city clerk not later than the first day of May in the year following the year in which the committee is appointed. The recommendations of the special committee shall appear on the city council agenda for action before the fifteenth day of June in that year and if not so scheduled by the city clerk the matter shall come before the city council for action at its next meeting held following the fifteenth day of June, and no other business shall be in order until the report has been acted upon, by roll call vote. The city solicitor shall serve as an advisor to the special committee. A revision, recodification or republication of the ordinances shall be made at 10 year intervals. Copies of the revision, recodification or republication shall be made available to the public at a cost not to exceed the actual cost of the reproduction. In each year between these reenactments, an annual supplement shall be printed which shall contain all ordinances and amendments to ordinances adopted in the preceding year.
Not later than the first day of July, at 10 year intervals, in each year ending in a 4, the mayor and city council shall provide for a review to be made of the city charter. This review shall be made by a special committee to consist of 9 members. Four members shall be appointed by the city council president, 2 of whom shall be members of the city council and 2 of whom shall be voters of the city but shall not be elected or appointed officers or employees of the city. Five members shall be appointed by the mayor, all of whom shall be voters of the city but shall not be elected or appointed officers or employees of the city. The special committee shall file its report with the city clerk, not later than the first day of May in the year following the year in which the committee is appointed. The recommendations of the special committee shall appear on the city council’s agenda for action before the fifteenth day of June in that year and if not so scheduled by the city clerk the matter shall come before the city council for action at its next meeting held following the fifteenth day of June, and no other business shall be in order until such report has been acted upon, by roll call vote.
(a) 
Meetings - All appointed multiple member bodies of the city shall meet regularly at the times and places that they by their own rules prescribe. Special meetings of any multiple member body shall be held on the call of the chairman or by one-third of the members of the body by written notice delivered in hand or to the place of residence of each member at least 48 hours in advance of the time set, which shall contain notice of the subjects to be acted upon. A copy of the notice shall also be posted in accordance with law. Except as may otherwise be authorized by law, all meetings of all multiple member bodies shall at all times be open to the public.
(b) 
Rules and Journals - Each appointed multiple member body shall determine its own rules and order of business and shall provide for keeping a journal of its proceedings. These rules and journals shall be a public record, and certified copies shall be placed on file in the office of the city clerk and in the Everett Public Library.
(c) 
Voting - If requested by any member, any vote of any appointed multiple member body shall be taken by a call of the roll and the vote of each member shall be recorded in the journal, but if the vote is unanimous, only that fact need be recorded.
(d) 
Quorum - A majority of the members of an appointed multiple member body shall constitute a quorum. Unless some other provision is made by the multiple member body’s own rules while a quorum is present, except on procedural matters, a majority of the full membership of the body shall be required to vote on any matter representing an exercise of the powers of the multiple member body, and that General Law provisions related to any vote to meet in “executive session” shall always require a majority of members of the body.
Words importing the singular number may extend and be applied to several persons or things; words importing the plural number may include the singular; and words importing the masculine gender shall include the feminine gender.
All references to General Laws contained in the charter refer to the General Laws of the Commonwealth of Massachusetts and are intended to refer to and to include any amendments or revisions to such chapters or sections or to the corresponding chapters and sections of any rearrangement, revision or recodification of such statutes enacted or adopted subsequent to the adoption of this charter.
In computing time under this charter the day of the act or event after which the designated period of time begins to run shall not be included. The last day of the period shall be included, unless it is a Saturday, Sunday or legal holiday, in which event the period shall be extended to the next day which is not a Saturday, Sunday or legal holiday. When the period of time designated is less than 7 days, intermediate Saturdays, Sundays and legal holidays shall not be included, when the period is 7 days or more, every day shall be counted.
A mayor-elect (as applicable), the city council-elect, and the school committee members-elect shall, on the first Monday in the January of each even-numbered year, except when said first Monday falls on a legal holiday, in which event on the following day, no later than eight o’clock in the evening, meet and be sworn to the faithful discharge of their duties. The oath may be administered by the city clerk, the assistant city clerk, or by any person qualified to take oaths or affirmations. A certificate that the oath or oaths have been taken shall be entered in the journal of the city council. In case of the absence of the mayor-elect or any members-elect of the city council or school committee on the day the oath of office is administered, the oath may at any time thereafter be administered to those persons by the city clerk, the assistant city clerk or by any person qualified to take oaths or affirmations. A certificate of each oath subsequently taken shall be entered in the journal of the city council. After the oath has been administered to the city council members present, they shall organize by electing from among their number a person to serve as the president as provided in section 2-2. The member senior in years of continuous service on the city council shall preside during this election. If 2 or more members are equally senior in continuous years of service on the city council, the member senior both in continuous years of service and age shall preside. After the oath has been administered to the school committee members present, they shall organize by electing from among their number a person to serve as the chair, as provided in section 4-2. The member senior in years of continuous service on the school committee shall preside during the election. If 2 or more members are equally senior in continuous years of service on the school committee the member senior both in continuous years of service and age shall preside.
Every person who is elected, including those elected by the city council, or appointed to an office of the city, shall receive a certificate of such election or appointment from the city clerk. Except as otherwise provided by law, every person who is elected, including those elected by the city council, or appointed to an office of the city before performing any act under this appointment or election, shall take and subscribe to an oath to qualify to enter upon the duties. A record of this oath shall be kept by the city clerk.
Unless otherwise allowed by law or this charter, no person shall simultaneously hold more than 1 full-time city office or position of employment. Any hours worked in any part-time position shall not be the same or otherwise conflict with the hours worked in a full-time position.
It shall be the duty of the mayor to see that the charter is faithfully followed and complied with by all city agencies and city employees. Whenever it appears to the mayor that any city agency or city employee is failing to follow any provision of this charter the mayor shall, in writing, cause notice to be given to that agency or employee directing compliance with the charter. If it shall appear to the city council that the mayor personally is not following the provisions of the charter the city council shall, by resolution, direct the attention of the mayor to those areas in which the city council believes there is a failure to comply with charter provisions. The procedures made available in chapter 231A of the General Laws may be used to determine the rights, duties, status or other legal relations arising under this charter, including any question of construction or validity which may be involved in such determination.