Massachusetts General Laws
Title VII - Cities, Towns and Districts
Chapter 40 - Powers and Duties of Cities and Towns

Section 3a - Cities, Towns and Districts; Binding Effect Thereon of Recordable Instruments of Title Affecting Interests in Real Estate as to Good Faith Purchasers Notwithstanding Inconsistency of Law Therewith - Section 3A. Any recordable instrument purporting to affect an interest...

Section 4 - Towns; Power to Contract; Purposes - Section 4. A city or town may make contracts for...

Section 4a - Governmental Units; Joint Operation of Public Activities; Termination of Agreement; ''governmental Unit'' Defined; Financial Safeguards - Section 4A. The chief executive officer of a city or...

Section 4a1/2 - Joint Powers Agreements - Section 4A1/2. (a) For purposes of this section, the following...

Section 4d - Contracts With State or Public Authority for Construction of Public Works - Section 4D. Any governmental unit, as defined in section four...

Section 4e - Education Collaboratives - Section 4E. (a) As used in this section the following...

Section 4f - Purchase of Clothing or Apparel; Restrictions - Section 4F. In any city or town which accepts the...

Section 4i - Growth and Development Policy Committees; Definitions - Section 4I. As used in this section, the following words...

Section 4j - Public Safety Mutual Aid Agreement; Procedure for Joining Agreement; Requests to Receive Assistance; Rights and Responsibilities of Requesting and Sending Parties - Section 4J. (a) As used in this section, the following...

Section 4k - Public Works Municipal Mutual Aid Agreement; Procedure for Joining Agreement; Advisory Committee; Requests to Receive Assistance; Rights and Responsibilities of Requesting and Sending Parties - Section 4K. (a) As used in this section, the following...

Section 5 - Appropriation of Money for Exercise of Corporate Powers - Section 5. A town may at any town meeting appropriate...

Section 5a - Cities; Reserve Funds for Extraordinary Expenditures; Establishment - Section 5A. To provide for extraordinary or unforeseen expenditures, a...

Section 5b - Stabilization Funds; Establishment - [Section impacted by 2020, 92, Secs. 10, 16 and 17,...

Section 5c - Districts; Reserve Funds for Extraordinary Expenditures; Establishment - Section 5C. To provide for extraordinary or unforeseen expenditures, a...

Section 5d - Contributory Retirement System Funds; Recovery of Pension Costs - Section 5D. In order to offset the anticipated costs for...

Section 5e - Unemployment Compensation Fund; Deposit and Investment; Payments - Section 5E. To provide for the anticipated costs of funding...

Section 5f - Ambulance Services; Recreational Facilities; Service Charges; Credit Card Payments - Section 5F. For the following purposes, a city or town...

Section 5g - Municipal Waterways Improvement and Maintenance Funds - Section 5G. A city or town may establish a municipal...

Section 5h - Centennial Celebrations; Funds - Section 5H. For the celebration of the year 2000 or...

Section 6 - Towns; Reserve Funds for Extraordinary Expenditures; Establishment - Section 6. To provide for extraordinary or unforeseen expenditures, a...

Section 6a - Advertising - Section 6A. A city or town which accepts the provisions...

Section 6b - Uniforms and Other Outer Clothing for Members of Police and Fire Departments and Shellfish Constabulary; Clothing Allowance - Section 6B. A city or town which accepts or has...

Section 6c - Removal of Ice and Snow From Private Ways; Conditions - Section 6C. A city or town which accepts this section...

Section 6d - Removal of Ice and Snow From Private Ways; Submission to Electorate; Ballot - Section 6D. Section six C shall be submitted for acceptance...

Section 6j - Stormy Weather Work Clothes; Purchase - Section 6J. A city or town which accepts this section...

Section 6k - Uniforms of Public Health Nurses; Purchase - Section 6K. A city or town which accepts this section...

Section 6l - Stormy Weather Work Clothes; Lease or Rental - Section 6L. A city or town which accepts this section...

Section 6n - Private Ways; Temporary Repairs, Ordinances or By-Laws - Section 6N. Cities and towns may by ordinance or by-law...

Section 6o - Group Life Insurance Premiums; Permanent Employees - Section 6O. A city or town may pay part of...

Section 7 - Removal of Ice and Snow From Sidewalks in Towns - Section 7. Any town which accepts this section or has...

Section 7a - Prevention of Automobile Accidents - Section 7A. Cities and towns may appropriate money for the...

Section 8 - Enforcement of Laws Relating to Civil Service - Section 8. A city, or a town which accepts chapter...

Section 8a - Development and Industrial Commission; Establishment; Duties; Membership; Tenure; Removals; Vacancies - Section 8A. A city or town which accepts this section...

Section 8b - Council on Aging; Establishment; Annual Reports; Recommendations by Department; Clerks and Employees - Section 8B. A city by ordinance or a town by...

Section 8c - Conservation Commission; Establishment; Powers and Duties - Section 8C. A city or town which accepts this section...

Section 8d - Historical Commission; Establishment; Powers and Duties - Section 8D. A city or town which accepts this section...

Section 8e - Youth Commission; Establishment; Powers and Duties - Section 8E. A city or town which accepts this section...

Section 8f - Consumer Advisory Commission; Establishment; Annual Report; Clerks and Employees - Section 8F. A city by ordinance or a town by...

Section 8g - Mutual Police Aid Programs; Agreements - Section 8G. A city or town which accepts this section...

Section 8h - Recycling Programs - Section 8H. A city, town, or district may establish, by...

Section 8i - Energy Resources Commission; Powers and Duties - Section 8I. A city or town which accepts this section...

Section 8j - Disability Commission; Powers and Duties; Members; Terms - Section 8J. A city which accepts the provisions of this...

Section 8k - Mapping Commissions; Powers and Duties; Members - Section 8K. A city by ordinance or a town by...

Section 8l - Municipal Agricultural Commission - Section 8L. (a) For the purposes of this section ''farming''...

Section 9 - Lease of Building Space for Veterans' Organizations; Limitations; Erection of Armories; Celebration of Holidays - Section 9. A city or town may, for the purpose...

Section 10 - Public Markets; Establishment; Conditions; Regulation - Section 10. A city, or a town having a population...

Section 11 - Prevention of Forest Fires - Section 11. A town may appropriate money for the prevention...

Section 11a - Beach Districts; Formation - Section 11A. For the purposes of clause (25A) of section...

Section 12 - Public Baths and Wash Houses - Section 12. A town which accepts this section, or has...

Section 12b - Beaches for Public and Recreational Uses; Formation of District; Membership of Control Commission; Annual Audit - Section 12B. Two or more contiguous cities or towns may,...

Section 12c - Construction of Beach Facilities; Rules and Regulations - Section 12C. Said commission shall construct, equip and maintain at...

Section 12d - Authority to Incur Indebtedness; Limitation - Section 12D. A city or town which is a member...

Section 12e - Treasurer of District; Appointment; Bond; Powers and Duties - Section 12E. The treasurer of one of the municipalities comprising...

Section 12f - Employees - Section 12F. Persons employed at such beaches shall be employees...

Section 12g - Leasing of Concessions; Procedure - Section 12G. Said commission may at any time in its...

Section 13 - Municipal Buildings Insurance Fund; Management; Use - Section 13. A town which at a meeting, or a...

Section 13a - Workers' Compensation Insurance Funds; Management - Section 13A. Any city or town which has accepted chapter...

Section 13b - Residence Quarters for School Physicians - Section 13B. A town of not exceeding three thousand inhabitants...

Section 13c - Workers' Compensation Claims Reserve Funds - Section 13C. Any city or town which accepts the provisions...

Section 13d - Reserve Fund for Future Payment of Accrued Liabilities for Compensated Absences Due Employee or Officer of Town Upon Termination of Employment - Section 13D. Any city, town or district which accepts the...

Section 13e - School District Reserve Funds to Pay for Unanticipated or Unbudgeted Costs for Special Education, Out-of-District Tuition or Transportation - Section 13E. Any school district which accepts this section, by...

Section 14 - Purchase of Land; Conditions; Limitations; Definition - Section 14. The aldermen of any city, except Boston, or...

Section 15 - Abandonment of Rights in Realty; Conditions - Section 15. If any officer of a city or town...

Section 15a - Transfer of Land; Procedure - Section 15A. Whenever a board or officer having charge of...

Section 15b - Water Supply Works; Sale or Exchange of Property - Section 15B. A town, city, or district authorized to furnish...

Section 15c - Scenic Road Designations; Improvements; Fines - Section 15C. Upon recommendation or request of the planning board,...

Section 16 - Street Sprinkling - Section 16. A town may sprinkle or spread upon its...

Section 17 - Assessment - Section 17. If a city determines that the public ways...

Section 18 - Collection of Assessment - Section 18. The assessors shall include such assessment in the...

Section 19 - Appropriation of Money for Providing Common Necessaries During War or Other Public Exigency; Purposes; Use of Funds - Section 19. For the purpose of maintaining, distributing and providing...

Section 20 - Selling Price of Necessities; Accounting - Section 20. Articles furnished or services rendered under the preceding...

Section 21 - By-Laws of Towns; Purpose - Section 21. Towns may, for the purposes hereinafter named, make...

Section 21a - Powers of Cities and Towns; Regulation of Working Conditions of Employees - Section 21A. A town by by-law and a city by...

Section 21b - Personnel Relations Review Board; Establishment; Purpose; ''grievance'', Defined - Section 21B. Any town by by-law adopted at an annual...

Section 21c - Union Conventions; Leave of Absence - Section 21C. An employee of a city or town which...

Section 21c1/2 - Employees Who Are Veterans; Participation in Veterans or Memorial Day Exercises; Time Off Granted; Exceptions - Section 21C1/2. An employee of a city or town which...

Section 21d - Noncriminal Disposition of Ordinance, By-Law, Rule or Regulation Violations - [See Executive Order No. 48, dated August 18, 2020 (2019...

Section 21e - Municipal Charges and Bills; Due Dates; Interest - Section 21E. Any city or town may, by ordinance or...

Section 22 - Regulation of Vehicles; Penalties for Violation; Disabled Veterans and Handicapped Persons Excepted From Parking Violations; Taxicab Licenses - Section 22. Except as otherwise provided in section eighteen of...

Section 22a - Parking Meters; Fees; Exemption From Fees for Disabled Veterans and Handicapped Persons; Bicycle Locking Devices; Motorcycle Parking; Restricted Parking Areas for Veterans and Handicapped Persons - Section 22A. Any city or town, for the purpose of...

Section 22a1/2 - Parking Benefit Districts - Section 22A1/2. A city or town may establish 1 or...

Section 22a3/4 - Designation of Parking Space for Veteran Parking at City or Town Hall - Section 22A3/4. (a) A municipality may designate a parking space...

Section 22b - Acquisition and Maintenance of Off-Street Parking Areas and Facilities; Conditions; Exceptions - Section 22B. In a city or town that accepts this...

Section 22c - Off-Street Parking Lots; Installation of Parking Meters and Other Devices; Use of Receipts - Section 22C. Any city or town, having installed parking meters...

Section 22d - Vehicles Parked in Violation of Law; Removal - Section 22D. In a city or town which accepts this...

Section 22e - Lease of Air Space Above Structures and Facilities - Section 22E. Whenever the board or officer having charge of...

Section 22f - License Fees; Service Charges; Acceptance of Section - Section 22F. Any municipal board or officer empowered to issue...

Section 22g - Funds Received From Fines for Handicap Parking Violations; Deposits in Account; Expenditures - Section 22G. Any city or town which has accepted the...

Section 23 - Powers of Cities; Regulation of Erection and Maintenance of Balustrades; Penalty for Violation - Section 23. A city council may make rules and regulations...

Section 24 - Powers of Cities; Regulation of the Quality of Ice; Penalty for Violation - Section 24. A city may make ordinances to secure the...

Section 31 - Powers of Towns; Performance of Duty Imposed by By-Laws - Section 31. If a town by-law imposes a duty and...

Section 32 - Validation of By-Laws; Procedure - Section 32. Except to the extent that a zoning by-law...

Section 32a - Publication of Ordinances - Section 32A. The provisions in the charter of a city...

Section 32b - Publication of Compilations of Zoning Ordinances; Supplements; Distribution and Sale - Section 32B. A city or town may from time to...

Section 33 - Rules and Regulations Promulgated by Town Boards; Filing - Section 33. A copy of all rules and regulations made...

Section 34 - Town; Erection and Maintenance of Lockup; Penalty for Noncompliance - Section 34. Each town containing more than five thousand inhabitants...

Section 35 - Keeper; Appointment; Oath; Penalty for Failure to Appoint Keeper - Section 35. The mayor of each city, except Boston, and...

Section 36 - Keeper; Powers; Compensation; Fees - Section 36. Such keeper shall have the power of a...

Section 36a - Report of Death or Suicide of Lockup Inmates; Records of Attempts At, or Threats Of, Suicide - Section 36A. Whenever a person is in police custody and...

Section 36b - Cells; Protective Coverings, Electronic Audio Systems and Electronic Security Devices - Section 36B. Each cell utilized for the detention of persons...

Section 36c - Police; Training in Suicide Detection, Intervention and Prevention - [First paragraph effective until July 1, 2021. For text effective...

Section 37 - Accessibility of Lockup to Police; Penalty for Refusing Access - Section 37. Such lockups shall at all reasonable hours be...

Section 37a - Curfews; Imposition; Penalties - Section 37A. The mayor of any city other than a...

Section 38 - Purchase, Development and Use of Public Water Supply - Section 38. A city, by a two thirds vote of...

Section 39 - Conveying Water Through Another Town; Liability for Damages - Section 39. If the water is conveyed through another town,...

Section 39a - Water Supply or Distributing System; Establishment; Maintenance and Operation; Exception - Section 39A. A town, by a majority of its voters...

Section 39b - Acquisition of Land and Water; Conditions - Section 39B. For the purpose of establishing a water supply...

Section 39c - Construction and Maintenance of Dams, Wells, Reservoirs and Other Buildings; Conditions - Section 39C. A town may construct and maintain on the...

Section 39d - Surveys - Section 39D. Such a town may enter upon any lands...

Section 39e - Management of Water System - Section 39E. The land, water rights and other property taken...

Section 39f - Damages - Section 39F. Any person or corporation injured in his or...

Section 39g - Pollution of Water; Damage to Property; Penalties - Section 39G. Whoever wilfully or wantonly corrupts, pollutes or diverts...

Section 39h - Right to Aid Other Governmental Units; Compensation - Section 39H. A city, town, commission or district through its...

Section 39i - Water Meters; Testing - Section 39I. Any person using water supplied by a city,...

Section 39j - Pricing System; Costs - Section 39J. In any city or town which accepts the...

Section 39k - Drinking Water Protection District; Establishment; Commission; Pricing System; Fund - Section 39K. (a) Any city or town which accepts the...

Section 39l - Water or Sewer Service Charges; Descending Unit Rate Basis - Section 39L. No local body shall charge for water or...

Section 39m - Water Infrastructure Surcharge on Real Property; Exemptions; Appeal; Municipal Water Infrastructure Investment Fund - Section 39M. (a) Notwithstanding chapter 59 or any other general...

Section 41 - Protection of Water Supply; Conditions - Section 41. Towns and water supply and fire districts duly...

Section 41a - Use of Water in Emergencies - Section 41A. A board of water commissioners or a board...

Section 42 - Laying Pipes and Conduits - Section 42. The board of aldermen or the selectmen may,...

Section 42a - Collection of Rates and Charges for Supplying of Water; Lien for Delinquent Charges - Section 42A. If the rates and charges due to a...

Section 42b - Effective Date of Lien; Termination; Enforcement - Section 42B. Such lien shall take effect by operation of...

Section 42c - Unpaid Charges; Report to Tax Collector - Section 42C. If a rate or charge for which a...

Section 42d - Unpaid Charges; Collection as Part of Property Tax - Section 42D. Except as otherwise provided, the provisions of chapters...

Section 42e - Abatements; Appeals - Section 42E. An owner of real estate aggrieved by a...

Section 42f - Recovery of Delinquent Charges From Tenants - Section 42F. An owner of real estate who, in order...

Section 42g - Distribution of Water; Payment of Costs by Special Assessment - Section 42G. Any city, town or district having a water...

Section 42h - Uniform Rate of Assessment - Section 42H. A city, town or district having a water...

Section 42i - Recordation of Assessment to Establish Lien on Property; Amount of Assessment; Extension of Time for Payment - Section 42I. Whenever the water commissioners or other officers in...

Section 42j - Deferral of Charges - Section 42J. In a city, town or district which accepts...

Section 42k - Assessment of Betterments - Section 42K. In a city, town or district which accepts...

Section 43 - Authorization for Laying of Pipes for the Transmission of Steam or Hot Water - Section 43. The board of aldermen or the selectmen may,...

Section 43a - Permission to Construct Pipelines for Conveying Petroleum or By-Products Thereof; Conditions - Section 43A. The board of alderman or the selectmen may,...

Section 44 - Improvement Districts; Purposes; Membership; Tenure; Powers and Duties - Section 44. A town may, at a town meeting, authorize...

Section 44a - Regional Refuse Disposal Planning Committee - Section 44A. A city or town, by vote of the...

Section 44b - Regional Refuse Disposal Planning Board; Study of Creation of District; Expenses of Board; Refuse Disposal Facility Defined - Section 44B. Regional refuse disposal planning committees from any two...

Section 44c - Regional Refuse Disposal Planning Board; Agreement for Establishment of District - Section 44C. The regional refuse disposal planning board, consisting only...

Section 44d - Report of Board - Section 44D. The regional refuse disposal planning board shall report...

Section 44e - Acceptance of Recommendation; Election; Establishment of District - Section 44E. The selectmen of each of the several towns,...

Section 44f - General Powers of District - Section 44F. A regional refuse disposal district, established under the...

Section 44g - Exercise of Powers; Officers of Committee - Section 44G. The powers, duties and liabilities of a regional...

Section 44h - Maintenance and Operating Expenses; Debts; Determination and Apportionment - Section 44H. The regional refuse disposal district committee shall annually...

Section 44i - Annual Audit and Report; Costs - Section 44I. The director of accounts in the department of...

Section 44j - Sale, Lease or License of Lands or Facilities to Refuse Disposal Districts - Section 44J. The agreement made under section forty-four C, or...

Section 44k - Bonds and Notes; Limit of Indebtedness - Section 44K. The provisions of sections sixteen to twenty-eight, inclusive,...

Section 44l - Issuance of Debt Obligations to Pay for Project Costs - Section 44L. The rights and powers granted to cities and...

Section 45 - Recognizance; Permission to Designate an Agent - Section 45. The selectmen of a town required to enter...

Section 46 - Certification of Claims - Section 46. Any person authorized to approve a claim against...

Section 47 - Town Seal; Establishment; Use - Section 47. Each town shall have a seal, established at...

Section 48 - Establishment of Suitable Place to Keep Books; Penalty for Noncompliance; Custody of Books and Records - Section 48. Every town shall provide suitable places, to be...

Section 49 - Annual Town Reports; Publication; Penalty for Noncompliance - Section 49. The selectmen, before the annual town meeting, shall...

Section 50 - Annual Town Report; Copy to State Library - Section 50. One copy or more of the annual report...

Section 51 - Publication of Information Concerning Persons Receiving Aid From Governmental Agencies Forbidden; Exceptions; Penalties - Section 51. No town or officer thereof shall publish or...

Section 52 - Size of Official Letters - Section 52. All official letters from officers of towns shall...

Section 53 - Restraint of Illegal Appropriations; Ten Taxpayer Actions - Section 53. If a town, regional school district, or a...

Section 54 - Building Permit Restrictions; Availability of Water Supply; Disposal of Debris - Section 54. No building permit shall be issued for the...

Section 54a - State Consent to Issuance of Permit to Build on Lands Formerly Used as a Railroad Right-of-Way; Damages in Absence Thereof - Section 54A. If a city or town or any other...

Section 55 - Annuity Contract, Custodial Account or Other Investment for Hospital Employees - Section 55. Any city through an officer designated by the...

Section 56 - Percentages of Local Tax Levy for Property - Section 56. Every fifth year, the commissioner shall certify as...

Section 57 - Local Licenses and Permits; Denial, Revocation or Suspension for Failure to Pay Municipal Taxes or Charges - Section 57. Any city or town which accepts the provisions...

Section 58 - Municipal Charges Lien - Section 58. Any city or town may impose a lien...

Section 59 - Tax Increment Financing Plan - Section 59. Notwithstanding any general or special law to the...

Section 60 - Urban Center Housing Tax Increment Financing Zone (Uch–tif) - Section 60. (a) Notwithstanding any general or special law to...

Section 60a - Manufacturing Workforce Training Tax Increment Financing Plan - Section 60A. (a) Notwithstanding any general or special law to...

Section 60b - Workforce Housing Special Tax Assessment Plan - Section 60B. (a) A city or town, by vote of...

Section 61 - Definitions Applicable to Secs. 61 to 69 - Section 61. As used in this section and sections 62...

Section 62 - Contracts for the Inspection, Maintenance, Repair or Modification of Water Storage Facility Authorized - Section 62. Pursuant to sections 61 to 69, inclusive, a...

Section 63 - Term of Contract Awarded Under Sec. 62 and Option for Renewal or Extension; Contents of Contract and Obligations Thereunder; Requirements Relating to Capital Modifications, Capital Repairs, Installation of Equipment and Systems or Second... - Section 63. (a) A contract awarded under section 62 may...

Section 64 - Solicitation of Proposals; Statement of Compliance With Occupation Health and Safety Requirements - Section 64. The chief procurement officer of a governmental unit...

Section 65 - Acceptance of Proposal and Award of Contract; Notice; Statement of Reasons for Acceptance - Section 65. The chief procurement officer of a governmental unit...

Section 66 - Terms and Conditions of Contract Awarded Under Secs. 61 to 69; Bond or Other Security for the Obligation of Selected Offeror - Section 66. A contract awarded under sections 61 to 69,...

Section 67 - Project Approval Certificates From Department of Environmental Protection - Section 67. The department of environmental protection may issue project...

Section 68 - Contracts Made in Violation of Secs. 61 to 69 Void and Unenforceable - Section 68. A contract made in violation of sections 61...

Section 69 - Public Notice of Request for Proposal - Section 69. Public notice of the request for proposals shall...

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Massachusetts General Laws Title VII - Cities, Towns and Districts Chapter 40 - Powers and Duties of Cities and Towns

Massachusetts General Laws
Title VII - Cities, Towns and Districts
Chapter 40 - Powers and Duties of Cities and Towns