All persons holding permanent positions in the Service of the Town, on the effective date of this Charter, whose positions are included in the classified service by the terms of this Charter, shall remain members of the classified service and retain such positions until promoted, transferred, reduced or removed in accordance with the provisions of this Charter. All other employees of the Town on the effective date of this Charter, whose positions are not abolished by the provisions of this Charter, shall retain such positions pending action by the Board of Selectmen or the appropriate officer, charged by this Charter with powers of appointment and removal. Any provision of law in force at the time when this Charter shall take effect, and not inconsistent with the provisions of this Charter, in relation to personnel, appointment, ranks, grades, tenure of office, promotions, removals, pension and retirement rights, civil rights or any other rights or privileges of employees of the town or any office, department or agency thereof, shall continue in effect.
All records, property and equipment whatsoever of any commission, board, department or office or a part thereof, all the powers and duties of which are assigned to any commission, board, department, or office by this Charter, shall be transferred and delivered intact to the commission, board, department or office to which such powers and duties are so assigned. If part of the powers and duties of any commission, board, department, or office, or part thereof, are by this Charter assigned to another commission, board, department or office, all records, property and equipment relating exclusively thereto shall be transferred and delivered intact to the commission, board, department or office to which such powers and duties are so assigned.
No contribution by the Town of more than five hundred dollars ($500.00) shall be made to any organization or private corporation unless the Town is represented on its board by one or more members nominated thereto by the Board of Selectmen.
No action or proceeding, civil or criminal, pending on the effective date of this Charter brought by or against the Town or any commission, board, department or office thereof, shall be effected or abated by the adoption of this Charter or by anything herein contained; but all such actions or proceedings may be continued notwithstanding that functions, powers and duties of any commission, board, department or office party thereto may by or under this Charter be assigned or transferred to another commission, board, department or office, but in that event the same may be prosecuted or defended by the head of the commission, board, department or office to which such functions, powers and duties have been assigned or transferred by or under this Charter.
All general laws in their application to the Town and all ordinances and by-laws of the Town shall continue in full force and effect, except insofar as they are inconsistent with the provisions of this Charter. All Special Acts or parts of Special Acts relating to the Town of Winchester, inconsistent with the provisions of this Charter are repealed.
This Charter may be amended in the manner prescribed by law.
If any section of this Charter shall be held invalid by a court of competent jurisdiction, such holding shall not affect the remainder of this Charter, nor the context in which a section or part of section is held invalid may appear, except to the extent that an entire section or part of a section may be inseparably connected in meaning and effect with the section or part of a section to which such holding shall directly apply.
As used in this Charter an "Elector" means any person who is an Elector of the Town or a property owner of the age of eighteen (18) years or more, who, jointly or severally, is liable to the Town for taxes assessed against him on an assessment of not less than one thousand dollars on the last completed Grand List, or who would be so liable if not entitled to a statutory exemption.
This Charter was submitted to the Electors of the Town of Winchester and Adopted on April 23, 1960, becoming effective on October 2, 1961.