13-1-1: 
All General Laws, special laws, town by-laws, town council votes and rules, and rules and regulations of or pertaining to the town that are in force when this charter takes effect, and are not specifically or by implication repealed hereby, shall continue in full force and effect until amended or repealed, or rescinded by due course of law, or until they expire by their own limitation.
13-1-2: 
Where provisions of this charter conflict with provisions of town by-laws, rules, regulations, orders and special acts and acceptances of General Law, the charter provisions shall govern. All provisions of town by-laws, rules, regulations, orders and special acts not superseded by this charter shall remain in force.
13-2-1: 
Chapter 790 of the Acts of 1975, titled, An Act Clarifying the Charter of the Town of Southbridge, is repealed and shall no longer apply to the Town of Southbridge.
13-3-1: 
Except as otherwise provided in this charter, all town agencies shall continue to perform their duties until reelected, or until successors to their respective positions are duly appointed or elected and qualified, or until their duties have been transferred and assumed by another agency.
13-4-1: 
All records, property and equipment whatsoever of any town agency, or part thereof, the powers and duties of which are assigned in whole or in part to another town agency, shall be transferred forthwith to such agency.
13-5-1: 
Any person holding a town office or employment with the town shall retain such office or employment and shall continue to perform the duties of the office until provisions shall have been made in accordance with this charter for the performance of the said duties by another person or agency. No person in the permanent full-time service or employment of the town shall forfeit pay grade or time in service.
13-6-1: 
All official bonds, recognizances, obligations, contracts and other instruments entered into or executed by or to the town before the adoption of this charter, and all taxes, assessments, fines, penalties, forfeitures, incurred or imposed, due or owing to the town, shall be enforced and collected, and all writs, prosecutions, actions and causes of action, except as herein otherwise provided, shall continue without abatement and remain unaffected by the charter, and no legal act done by or in favor of the town shall be rendered invalid by reason of the adoption of this charter.
13-7-1: 
This charter shall become effective on the first business day of July in the year following the year in which this charter is adopted by the voters. A nine-member town council, as provided for in this charter, shall be elected at the first regular town election following the regular town election at which this charter is adopted.
At such election, the terms of office of all members of the town council then serving shall expire notwithstanding the term for which they were elected or appointed. At such election, a new nine-member town council, as provided for in this charter, shall be elected as follows:
The three candidates receiving the first, second and third greatest number of votes among those elected shall each serve a three-year term.
The candidates receiving the fourth, fifth and sixth greatest number of votes among those elected shall each serve a two-year term.
The candidates receiving the seventh, eighth and ninth greatest number of votes among those elected shall each serve a one year term.
Ties shall be resolved by flip of a coin.
Prior service as town councilor under the Southbridge Home Rule Charter adopted March 2, 1973, shall not be considered with respect to the term limit imposed by 2-2-3 of this charter.
13-7-2: 
UPON IMPLEMENTATION OF THIS CHARTER:
The town council shall enter into contractual negotiations with the incumbent town manager (unless already under contract) pursuant to section 4-1-4 of this charter.
The town council shall immediately review the rules and regulations of the town council to insure that they are in compliance with the charter.
13-7-3: 
UPON ADOPTION OF THIS CHARTER:
Section 4-3-2 of the Southbridge Home Rule Charter adopted March 2, 1973, as amended, shall be repealed as of the first day of the fiscal year beginning immediately after adoption of this charter.
Within three months after the adoption of this charter, the town council shall appoint a by-law review committee to review the town by-laws to insure they are in compliance with the charter. Said committee shall report its recommendations to the town council within six months following their appointment. The committee may, in its discretion, engage a legal consultant and the town council shall appropriate sufficient funds to allow the committee to engage such services.