(a) 
Elective Town Offices - The offices to be filled by ballot of the whole town shall be a board of selectmen, a planning board, a moderator and a school committee and such members of regional authorities or districts as may be established by statute, interlocal agreement or otherwise. The officials shall be sworn to the faithful performance of their duties by the town clerk, a justice of the peace or a notary public.
(b) 
Eligibility - Any registered voter of the town shall be eligible to hold any elective town office, provided, however, that except as may be authorized by this charter no elected town official shall hold any other elected town office or full time town employment during the term for which he was elected and no elected town official shall hold any appointed town position for which a salary or other emolument is attached until one year after the date the term for which he was elected has expired.
(c) 
Election - The regular elections for town office shall be held annually on the date fixed in the bylaws of the town.
(a) 
Composition, Term of Office-There shall be a board of selectmen consisting of five members elected by vote of the registered voters of the town for three year overlapping terms.
(b) 
Compensation-The selectmen shall receive the compensation provided by an appropriation made for that purpose by town meeting.
(a) 
Powers and Duties - The board of selectmen shall have the power to enact rules and regulations establishing town policies not otherwise governed by bylaw, by this charter, or by statute. However, whenever an appropriation may be necessary to implement such action, the vote of the selectmen shall only be effective if such an appropriation is made by town meeting. The selectmen may, by majority vote, create, expand, consolidate or abolish all offices and agencies not specifically provided for by this charter or by statute in the manner provided in Article V. It is the intention of this section that they shall control and be responsible for the direction of town affairs by establishing policies to be followed by the administrative officer and by making recommendations to the town meeting for actions required to be taken by that body.
The selectmen shall have and possess all other powers it is possible for selectmen to hold under the general laws of the commonwealth which are not specifically assigned to some other office or agency under this charter or by special act of the legislature.
Except for the purpose of such investigation as may be authorized by this charter, the selectmen shall deal with all town officers and employees who are subject to the direction or supervision of the administrative officer solely through the administrative officer. The selectmen shall not attempt to give orders to such persons, either in public or in private.
The Selectmen shall appoint for fixed terms constables, a police chief, police officers, election officers and a town accountant; they shall appoint for fixed overlapping terms the members of the board of appeals, library trustees, registrars of voters, housing authority, conservation commission, parks and recreation commission, historical commission, the industrial development commission and the trustees of special funds; and they shall appoint for indefinite terms a director of veterans’ services, town counsel, administrative officer and a fire chief.
The board of selectmen may make investigations and may authorize the administrative officer to investigate the affairs of the town and the conduct of any town department, office or agency, including any doubtful claims against the town and for this purpose may subpoena witnesses, administer oaths, take testimony and require the production of evidence. The report of the results of such investigation shall be placed on file in the office of the administrative officer and a report summarizing the results of such investigation shall be printed in the next annual town report.
In the event that the commonwealth fails in any given fiscal year to provide for the independent audit of all records and accounts of the town, the board of selectmen shall provide for such audit. The audit shall be made by a certified public accountant, or firm of such accountants, who has no personal interests, direct or indirect, in the fiscal affairs, of the town government or any of its officers.
(a) 
Term of Office - At each town election a moderator shall be chosen by vote of the registered voters of the town.
(b) 
Compensation-The moderator shall receive the compensation provided for that purpose in an appropriation made by the town meeting.
The school committee shall have all of the powers and duties school committees may have under the constitution and general laws of the commonwealth and it shall have additional powers and duties as may be authorized by this charter or by bylaws adopted by the town meeting.
(a) 
Composition - There shall be a planning board consisting of five members elected by the voters of the town at large, for overlapping terms.
(b) 
Election and Term - The term of office of planning board members shall be for three years. Election for planning board members shall be held annually to fill expiring terms.
(c) 
Compensation - Planning board members shall serve without salary.
(d) 
Powers and Duties - The planning board shall have all the powers and duties planning board may have under the constitution and statutes of the commonwealth. The board may also exercise such additional powers and duties as may from time to time be assigned to them by this charter, by bylaw or other vote of the town or of the town meeting.
(a) 
Vacancies - The office of moderator, selectman, school committee member or planning board member shall become vacant upon his death, resignation or removal from office in any manner authorized by law.
(b) 
Filling of Vacancies - Vacancies in the office of moderator which occur when the town meeting is not in session shall be filled by majority vote of the board of selectmen. Vacancies in the office of selectman shall be filled by majority vote of the remaining selectmen, the moderator and the chairman of the school committee, meeting jointly. Vacancies in the office of school committee member shall be filled by majority vote of the remaining members of the school committee and the board of selectmen, meeting jointly. Vacancies in the office of planning board member shall be filled by majority vote of the remaining members of the planning board and the board of selectmen, meeting jointly.
Persons elected to fill vacancies under this section shall serve until the next regular town election, at which time the balance of the unexpired term, if any, shall be filled by official ballots of the whole town.