[Adopted 1-5-2021 by Ord. No. 2021-006 as Art. II, Sec. 1, of the General Ordinances]
A. 
Mayor; qualifications. Any registered voter of Framingham shall be eligible to hold the office of Mayor. The Mayor shall devote full time to the office and shall not hold any other elective public office, nor shall the Mayor be engaged in any other business, occupation or profession during the period of service as Mayor.
B. 
Term of office. The term of office of the Mayor shall be four years beginning on the first day of January following the regular municipal election at which elected and shall continue until a successor is qualified.
C. 
Compensation. The Council shall, by ordinance, establish an annual salary for the Mayor. Any ordinance altering the salary of the Mayor:
(1) 
Must be adopted during the first 42 months of the then Mayor's term;
(2) 
Shall not be effective until after the next election and qualification of Mayor; and
(3) 
Shall only be adopted by a two-thirds vote of the full Council on a roll call vote.
D. 
Expenses. Subject to appropriation by the Council, the Mayor shall be entitled to reimbursement of the actual and necessary expenses incurred in the performance of the duties of the office.
E. 
Prohibition on holding other office or position. The Mayor shall hold no other municipal office or municipal employment for which a salary or other emolument is payable from the municipal treasury. No former Mayor shall hold any compensated appointed municipal office or municipal employment until one year after the date on which the former Mayor's term of office has terminated. This prohibition shall not apply to persons covered by a leave of absence under MGL c. 31, § 37.
F. 
Term limit. No person shall hold the office of Mayor for more than three consecutive full four-year terms.
[1]
Text derives from Charter Art. III, § 1.
The executive and administrative powers of the municipality shall be vested solely in the Mayor, and may be exercised by the Mayor either personally or through the several municipal agencies under the general supervision and control of the office of the Mayor. The Mayor shall cause the Charter, the laws, the ordinances and other orders of the municipality to be enforced and shall cause a record of all official acts of the executive branch of the municipal government to be kept. The Mayor shall exercise a general supervision and direction over all municipal agencies, unless otherwise provided by law, by the Charter or by ordinance. Each municipal agency shall furnish to the Mayor, immediately upon request, any information, materials or otherwise that the Mayor may request and that the needs of the office of Mayor and the interest of the municipality may require. The Mayor shall supervise, direct and be responsible for the efficient administration of all municipal activities and functions placed under the control of the Mayor by law, by the Charter, by ordinance or otherwise. The Mayor shall be responsible for the efficient and effective coordination of the activities of all agencies of the municipality of Framingham and for this purpose shall have authority, consistent with law, to call together for consultation, conference and discussion at reasonable times all persons serving the municipality, whether elected directly by the voters, chosen by persons elected directly by the voters, or otherwise. The Mayor shall serve as an ex officio member of every multiple-member body with the right to attend and participate in any meeting at any time, including executive sessions.
[1]
Text derives from Charter Art. III, § 2.
A. 
Municipal positions. The Mayor shall appoint, subject to the review of the appointments by the Council under Article II of the Charter, all municipal officers, division heads, department directors, employees and the members of multiple-member bodies for whom no other method of appointment or selection is provided by the Charter, excepting only persons serving under the School Committee, and persons serving under the Council. Except as may otherwise be required by the Civil Service Law,[2] appointments or reappointments made by the Mayor shall be for indefinite terms, excepting persons categorized as division heads and department directors who shall serve three-year terms, and the Chief Financial Officer, City Solicitor, Chief Operating Officer and Citizen Participation Officer who shall serve coterminous with the term of the Mayor. Division heads and department directors shall, subject to the consent of the Mayor, appoint all assistants, subordinates and other employees of the agency for which that person is responsible. All appointments and promotions made by the Mayor shall be made on the basis of merit and fitness demonstrated by examination, past performance, or by other evidence of competence and suitability. Each person appointed to fill an office or position shall be a person especially fitted by education, training and previous experience to perform the duties of the office or position for which chosen. Provided, however, that the Mayor shall appoint the Library Director and Cemetery Director only on the recommendation of their respective Boards of Trustees in accordance with Article IV of the Charter and that such appointments shall not be subject to City Council approval; provided further, that any appointment of a division head in the last year of the term for which the Mayor was elected shall require a two-thirds vote of the City Council to be effective.
[2]
Editor's Note: See MGL c. 31.
B. 
Boards, commissions, committees and officers. The Mayor shall appoint the members of committees, boards, commission or officers for whom no other method of appointment or selection is provided by the Charter. The Mayor may also appoint such ad hoc committees or working groups as the Mayor deems appropriate to advise the Mayor on matters affecting the municipality.
[1]
Text derives from Charter Art. III, § 3.
The Mayor shall defend all suits brought against the City and may settle any claim or suit to which the City is a party which does not require the payment of more than $25,000 and, further, may settle any claim or suit resulting from the taking of land for any municipal purpose which does not require the payment of more than $25,000. All such aforementioned settlements shall be itemized and identified in the Annual Report. Any settlement requiring a payment greater than those set forth in this section, except as authorized by law, shall be made only when authorized by a vote of the Council. The Mayor shall bring any suits to collect sums due the City.
Whenever any land acquired by the City for tax delinquency is to be sold by the Treasurer-Collector, the Mayor or a custodian designated by the Mayor, it shall be sold at public auction, after not less than 14 days' notice in one or more newspapers published in the City. Such notice of an auction sale must contain a description of the property sufficient to identify it, and must state the date, time, place, terms and conditions of sale. Any real property acquired by the City for tax delinquency held for more than five years and having an assessed value of more than $15,000 shall not be sold without a review by and a two-thirds majority vote of the Council. All such aforementioned sale of tax land shall be itemized and identified in the Annual Report.
Every order, ordinance, resolution or vote adopted or passed by the Council relative to the affairs of the municipality, except memorial resolutions, the selection of municipal officers chosen by the Council and any matters relating to the internal affairs of the Council, shall be presented to the Mayor for approval. If the Mayor approves of the measure, the Mayor shall sign it; if the Mayor disapproves of the measure the Mayor shall return the measure, with the specific reason or reasons for such disapproval attached to it, in writing, to the Council. The Council shall enter the objections of the Mayor on its records, and, not sooner than 10 days, nor later than 30 days after the date of its return to the Council, shall again consider the same measure. If the Council, notwithstanding the disapproval by the Mayor, shall again pass the order, ordinance, resolution or vote by a two-thirds vote of the full Council, it shall then be considered in force, notwithstanding the failure of the Mayor to approve it. If the Mayor has neither signed a measure nor returned it to the Council within 10 days after the date it was presented to the Mayor, the measure shall be considered approved.
[1]
Text derives from Charter Art. III, § 7.
A. 
Acting Mayor. Whenever, by reason of sickness, absence from the municipality or other cause, the Mayor shall by his or her own decision be unable to perform the duties of the office for a period of more than 10 successive days, the Council Chair shall be the Acting Mayor. In the event that the Council Chair chooses not to serve or is unable to serve, the Council shall elect one of its members to serve as Acting Mayor. The Mayor shall, by a letter filed with the Council and a copy filed with the City Clerk, designate a qualified municipal officer or municipal employee to serve as Acting Mayor during the temporary absence of the Mayor for periods of less than 10 successive days; such officer or employee shall serve only when the needs of the municipality require and only to the extent necessary under the then circumstances.
B. 
Powers of Acting Mayor. The Acting Mayor shall have only those powers of the Mayor that are essential to the conduct of the business of the municipality in an orderly and efficient manner and on which action cannot be delayed. The Acting Mayor shall have no authority to make any permanent appointment or removal from municipal service unless the disability of the Mayor shall extend beyond 60 days nor shall an Acting Mayor approve or disapprove of any measure adopted by the Council unless the time within which the Mayor must act would expire before the return of the Mayor. During any period in which any Councilor is serving as Acting Mayor, that Councilor shall not vote as a Councilor.
[1]
Text derives from Charter Art. III, § 8.
The Mayor may authorize any subordinate officer or employee of the municipality to exercise any power or perform any function or any duty which is assigned by the Charter, or otherwise, to the Mayor, and the Mayor may rescind or revoke any authorizations previously made, but all acts performed under any delegation of authority during any such period of authorization shall be and remain the acts of the Mayor. Nothing in this section shall be construed to authorize a Mayor to delegate the power of appointment to municipal office or employment or to sign or return measures approved by the Council.
[1]
Text derives from Charter Art. III, § 9.
A. 
Master plan.
(1) 
Content. There shall be a master plan containing the plan elements described in MGL c. 41, § 81D, and shall include, but shall not be limited to, arts, culture, recreation, open space and housing; provided, however, that the municipality may also undertake planning activities relating to particular services or specific geographic areas within the municipality as the Mayor or Council may direct.
(2) 
Adoption. The plan shall be approved by the Planning Board as required by § 81D. Once approved by the Board, the Mayor shall submit the plan to the Council for adoption, with or without amendments.
(3) 
Revising the plan. Upon the taking of office of a newly elected or reelected Mayor, the Mayor shall review the plan to determine if revisions, amendments, and/or additions are necessary and present such proposals to the Planning Board for deliberation and approval. Any revisions, amendments and additions shall be subject to the adoption process as provided above.
(4) 
New master plan. A new master plan shall be prepared every 20 years; provided, however, that if the 20th year is within two years of a mayoral election, such new plan shall be undertaken within one year of a newly elected or reelected Mayor taking office. A new plan shall be prepared and adopted as provided above within three years of:
(a) 
The expiration of the plan then in effect; or
(b) 
Upon the taking of office of a newly elected or reelected Mayor, whichever is later.
B. 
Long-range strategic plan. The Mayor shall prepare a long-range strategic plan every 10 years in the year ending in "0." This plan shall be prepared in consultation with the Strategic Initiatives and Financial Oversight Committee, division and department heads, multiple-member bodies of the municipality, the Council, School Committee and residents. Said plan shall be updated every two years. The long-range plan shall address financial, service, and infrastructure needs of the municipality and shall be coordinated with the findings and recommendations of any master plan then in effect. Such plan shall be updated every two years and voted on by the Council.
[1]
Text derives from Charter Art. III, § 11.
A. 
The organization of the municipality into operating agencies for the provision of services and the administration of the government may be accomplished only through an organization, or reorganization, plan filed by the Mayor. No organization plan may originate with the Council. The Mayor may, subject only to express prohibitions in a General Law, or the Charter, propose to reorganize, consolidate or abolish any municipal agency, in whole or in part; or establish any new agencies that the Mayor considers necessary, but no function assigned by the Charter to a particular agency may be discontinued or assigned to any other municipal agency except by an organizational plan or reorganization plan. The Mayor may from time to time prepare and submit to the Council plans of organization or reorganization that establish operating divisions for the orderly, efficient or convenient conduct of the business of the municipality. Every organization or reorganization plan submitted by the Mayor under this provision shall contain a proposed ordinance which sets out, in detail, the amendments, insertions, revisions, repeals or otherwise of existing ordinances that may be necessary to accomplish the desired reorganization. The reorganization plan and proposed ordinance shall be accompanied by a message of the Mayor explaining the benefits expected to ensue.
B. 
Whenever the Mayor proposes such a plan, the Council shall give notice by publication in a local newspaper and hold one or more public hearings on the proposal. The notice in the local newspaper shall describe the scope of the proposal and the time and place at which the public hearing will be held, said hearing to be not less than seven nor more than 14 days after the publication. The proposed plan shall also be available in the office of the City Clerk, the public library, and on the municipal bulletin board. An organization or reorganization plan shall become effective at the expiration of 60 days after the date the proposal is submitted to the full Council by the Mayor unless the Council shall, by a majority roll call, within that period vote to disapprove the plan, or has sooner approved it by majority roll call vote. The Council may vote only to approve or to disapprove the plan and may not vote to amend or to alter it.
[1]
Text derives from Charter Art. V, § 1.
[Amended 4-30-2024 by Ord. No. 2024-025]
The organizational chart of the City shall be posted on the municipal bulletin board each time it is updated.
The Mayor shall present the proposed annual budget to the City Council no later than 60 days prior to the beginning of the fiscal year as provided in Article VI, § 3, of the Home Rule Charter.
A. 
The document transmitted must include at the minimum the following information:
(1) 
All information as described in Article VI, § 4, of the Home Rule Charter.
(2) 
A listing for each municipal department of all positions in the department that includes the employee name (if vacant so indicate), the date the position was established, then title of the position, the job classification, and the total compensation requested for each employee.
B. 
The budget should be formatted to allow the City Council to clearly view the breakdown between operational and personnel requests, but to be appropriated in a lump sum by department.
[1]
Editor's Note: This section was originally adopted 3-6-2018 by Ord. No. 2018-022.
[Added 5-18-2021 by Ord. No. 2021-015-002]
The Mayor may periodically assess the strengths, challenges, and needs of neighborhood advisory groups and make recommendations to the Council for changes to ordinances and municipal services to create a neighborhood blueprint for Framingham. It will serve as the basis for promoting, preserving, and protecting our neighborhoods.
[1]
Editor's Note: See also Ch. 104, Neighborhood Advisory Groups.