reglab/housing_qa huggingface dataset:
MA Gen L ch 40 § 1a (2021)
2021 Massachusetts General Laws|Part I - Administration of the Government|Title VII - Cities, Towns and Districts|Chapter 40 - Powers and Duties of Cities and Towns|Section 1a - District Defined

Section 1A. Except as otherwise expressly provided, the word ''district'' as used in this chapter shall mean a fire, water, sewer, water pollution abatement, refuse disposal, light, or improvement district, or any other district, howsoever named, formed for the purpose of carrying out any of the aforementioned functions, whether established under general law or special act.
MA Gen L ch 40 § 1b (2021)
2021 Massachusetts General Laws|Part I - Administration of the Government|Title VII - Cities, Towns and Districts|Chapter 40 - Powers and Duties of Cities and Towns|Section 1b - Districts; Power to Sue and Be Sued; Insurance; Defense of Civil Actions

Section 1B. A district may sue and be sued by its name to the same extent and upon the same conditions as a city or town.  Districts shall have the power and authority to assess member cities and towns for the purpose of paying a proper charge to effect insurance for payment of damages or for the purpose of paying a proper charge for payment of damages incurred pursuant to chapter two hundred and fifty-eight, and shall have the power and authority to defend civil actions brought against them pursuant to said chapter.
MA Gen L ch 40 § 2 (2021)
2021 Massachusetts General Laws|Part I - Administration of the Government|Title VII - Cities, Towns and Districts|Chapter 40 - Powers and Duties of Cities and Towns|Section 2 - Towns; Power to Sue and Be Sued

Section 2. A town may in its corporate capacity sue and be sued by its name, and may appoint necessary agents therefor.
MA Gen L ch 40 § 3a (2021)
2021 Massachusetts General Laws|Part I - Administration of the Government|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 in real estate, title to which is held by a city, town, district or regional school district, executed in the name of a town by its selectmen, in the name of a city by its mayor or by its city manager in the case of a city having a Plan D or Plan E charter, or in the name of a district or regional school district by the chairman of its prudential committee or other governing board or by any agent or committee authorized by particular vote of the city, town or district or in the case of a municipality acting by or through an industrial development financing authority as provided in section seven of chapter forty D by vote of the board of directors of said authority, shall be binding on the city, town, district or regional school district in favor of a purchaser or other person relying in good faith on such instrument notwithstanding inconsistent provisions of general or special law, the city or town charter, by-laws, resolutions or votes.
MA Gen L ch 40 § 4 (2021)
2021 Massachusetts General Laws|Part I - Administration of the Government|Title VII - Cities, Towns and Districts|Chapter 40 - Powers and Duties of Cities and Towns|Section 4 - Towns; Power to Contract; Purposes

Section 4. A city or town may make contracts for the exercise of its corporate powers, on such terms and conditions as are authorized by the town meeting in a town, the town council in a town without a town meeting, the city council in a city with the approval of the mayor or the city council in a Plan D or Plan E city with the approval of the manager, or as otherwise authorized in accordance with a duly adopted charter. A city or town may not contract for any purpose, on any terms, or under any conditions inconsistent with any applicable provision of any general or special law.
MA Gen L ch 40 § 4d (2021)
2021 Massachusetts General Laws|Part I - Administration of the Government|Title VII - Cities, Towns and Districts|Chapter 40 - Powers and Duties of Cities and Towns|Section 4d - Contracts With State or Public Authority for Construction of Public Works

Section 4D. Any governmental unit, as defined in section four A, may enter into an agreement with the commonwealth or with any public authority, whereby the commonwealth acting through a duly authorized agency, or such public authority, will perform for such governmental unit, any service or activity or undertaking which said governmental unit is authorized by law to perform for itself.  All bills submitted for payments on account of work done under such agreement shall be plainly marked to indicate that the work was done under authority thereof, and payments at such intervals as provided by the agreement shall be made to the commonwealth or the public authority or upon direction of the commonwealth or the public authority, at such intervals as the government provides, directly to the contractor performing the work under agreement.  Any such agreement may provide that such governmental unit pay to the state treasurer or to the treasurer of such public authority, as the case may be, its respective share of the estimated cost of the work to be done, and that the state agency or public authority which is a party to the agreement be authorized to expend the money for the purposes for which the payment is submitted. The provisions of sections twenty-six to twenty-nine, inclusive, and of sections forty-four A to forty-four L, inclusive, of chapter one hundred and forty-nine, and the provisions of sections thirty-nine F to thirty-nine M of chapter thirty, shall apply to all such work performed by a public authority to the same extent and in the same manner as they are applicable to the commonwealth.
MA Gen L ch 40 § 4f (2021)
2021 Massachusetts General Laws|Part I - Administration of the Government|Title VII - Cities, Towns and Districts|Chapter 40 - Powers and Duties of Cities and Towns|Section 4f - Purchase of Clothing or Apparel; Restrictions

Section 4F. In any city or town which accepts the provisions of this section, any contracts or orders for items of clothing or apparel shall be given to such establishments only as submit to the city or town the name and address of the manufacturer of such items, and the names and addresses of any and all contractors for such items, and only to such establishments as pay the prevailing rate of wages, determined by the commissioner of labor and industries. Said prevailing rates shall be based on wage rates and working hours that have been established by collective bargaining agreement or understanding between organized labor and employers in the apparel industry. Said commissioner shall, upon application from a city or town, prepare and furnish for the use of such city or town a list of the several classifications of labor usually performed by the employees in the apparel trades, together with the prevailing rate of wages and working hours.  A written declaration by the bidder on said contracts or orders for items of clothing or apparel, upon submission of his bid, that each garment to be purchased shall have a union label affixed to such garment shall be sufficient evidence that said manufacturer or contractor pays the prevailing rate of wages based on wage rates and working hours established by collective bargaining or understanding between organized labor and the employer. Every contractor, subcontractor or other employer, engaged in any work to which this section applies, shall keep a true and accurate record of employees, showing the name, address and occupational classification of each employee, and the hours worked by, and the wages paid to, each such employee, and shall furnish to the city or town upon request a true statement of the contents of such record.
MA Gen L ch 40 § 5 (2021)
2021 Massachusetts General Laws|Part I - Administration of the Government|Title VII - Cities, Towns and Districts|Chapter 40 - Powers and Duties of Cities and Towns|Section 5 - Appropriation of Money for Exercise of Corporate Powers

Section 5. A town may at any town meeting appropriate money for the exercise of any of its corporate powers; provided, however, that a town shall not appropriate or expend money for any purpose, on any terms, or under any conditions inconsistent with any applicable provision of any general or special law.
MA Gen L ch 40 § 5a (2021)
2021 Massachusetts General Laws|Part I - Administration of the Government|Title VII - Cities, Towns and Districts|Chapter 40 - Powers and Duties of Cities and Towns|Section 5a - Cities; Reserve Funds for Extraordinary Expenditures; Establishment

Section 5A. To provide for extraordinary or unforeseen expenditures, a city may, prior to the date when the tax rate for a fiscal year is fixed, include in the appropriations for such fiscal year as a reserve fund a sum not exceeding 5 per cent of the tax levy for the fiscal year next preceding such fiscal year. No direct drafts against this fund shall be made, but transfers from the fund may from time to time be voted by the city council upon recommendation of the mayor, and the city auditor or officer having similar duties shall make such transfers as are so voted.
MA Gen L ch 40 § 5c (2021)
2021 Massachusetts General Laws|Part I - Administration of the Government|Title VII - Cities, Towns and Districts|Chapter 40 - Powers and Duties of Cities and Towns|Section 5c - Districts; Reserve Funds for Extraordinary Expenditures; Establishment

Section 5C. To provide for extraordinary or unforeseen expenditures, a district may at an annual or special district meeting appropriate or transfer a sum or sums not exceeding, in the aggregate, five per cent of the receipts from taxes, rates and services of the fiscal year preceding the fiscal year for which the fund, to be known as the reserve fund, is established. No direct drafts against this fund shall be made, but transfers from the fund may from time to time be voted by the prudential committee, if any, otherwise the commissioners; and the district treasurer shall make such transfers accordingly.
MA Gen L ch 40 § 5e (2021)
2021 Massachusetts General Laws|Part I - Administration of the Government|Title VII - Cities, Towns and Districts|Chapter 40 - Powers and Duties of Cities and Towns|Section 5e - Unemployment Compensation Fund; Deposit and Investment; Payments

Section 5E. To provide for the anticipated costs of funding reimbursements to the commonwealth for unemployment compensation benefits under the provisions of chapter one hundred and fifty-one A, any city, town or district may appropriate in any year an amount not exceeding one-tenth of one per cent of such city's or town's equalized valuation as defined in section one of chapter forty-four, to establish and maintain a special fund to be known as the unemployment compensation fund; provided, however, that no such appropriation may be made at any time when the aggregate amount in such fund equals or exceeds one per cent of such equalized valuation. Any interest shall be added to and become a part of such special fund.  The treasurer of the city, town or district shall be the custodian and administrator of such special fund, and may deposit or invest the fund in such manner as may be legal for other city, town or district funds under the laws of the commonwealth including, without limitation, the Massachusetts Municipal Depository Trust.  The treasurer shall pay from such special fund, including the income thereof, such amounts as the selectmen or other officers authorized to expend money determine to be necessary from time to time to satisfy the liability of the city, town or district, or any instrumentality thereof, in accordance with the unemployment security law of the commonwealth.
MA Gen L ch 40 § 5f (2021)
2021 Massachusetts General Laws|Part I - Administration of the Government|Title VII - Cities, Towns and Districts|Chapter 40 - Powers and Duties of Cities and Towns|Section 5f - Ambulance Services; Recreational Facilities; Service Charges; Credit Card Payments

Section 5F. For the following purposes, a city or town may defray the cost, including maturing debt and interest, of acquiring, establishing, maintaining, and operating certain facilities and services by charges established by the city or town upon persons making use of such facilities or services: (1) purchasing, hiring, maintaining, and operating ambulances; and (2) establishing, maintaining, and equipping public gymnasiums, swimming pools, bathing beaches, golf courses, artificial ice-skating rinks and other such means of recreation, instruction or exercise.  Notwithstanding the provisions of any general or special law to the contrary, a city or town may accept credit cards for payment for golf greens fees for the use of a golf course; provided, however, that any person who pays by credit card shall not be charged an amount greater than the amount charged to other persons.
MA Gen L ch 40 § 5g (2021)
2021 Massachusetts General Laws|Part I - Administration of the Government|Title VII - Cities, Towns and Districts|Chapter 40 - Powers and Duties of Cities and Towns|Section 5g - Municipal Waterways Improvement and Maintenance Funds

Section 5G. A city or town may establish a municipal waterways improvement and maintenance fund to receive revenue under subsection (i) of section 2 of chapter 60B and under section 10A of chapter 91 and sums received from the commonwealth or the federal government, and may appropriate monies in said fund for (1) maintenance, dredging, cleaning and improvement of harbors, inland waters and great ponds of the commonwealth, (2) the public access thereto, (3) the breakwaters, retaining walls, piers, wharves and moorings thereof, and (4) law enforcement and fire prevention.
MA Gen L ch 40 § 5h (2021)
2021 Massachusetts General Laws|Part I - Administration of the Government|Title VII - Cities, Towns and Districts|Chapter 40 - Powers and Duties of Cities and Towns|Section 5h - Centennial Celebrations; Funds

Section 5H. For the celebration of the year 2000 or the year 2001 or any centennial celebration, any city or town may appropriate money annually during the five years preceding such year. Such city or town is hereby authorized to establish in its treasury a special fund in which shall be deposited such sums as may be appropriated by it under the provisions of this section, and any and all sums received by way of income from the sale of commemorative items or from admission charges for commemorative ceremonies or events. All such sums received by the treasurer shall be kept separate from other moneys, funds or property of such city or town, and the principal and interest thereof may, from time to time upon the authorization of the mayor or city manager, as the case may be, the board of selectmen, or the majority of any special committee established to plan such celebration, be expended for the purposes of such celebration in the year of such celebration and in the year preceding or succeeding same. There shall be an accounting to the treasurer for the expenditure of all funds. Any surplus remaining in said special fund after such celebration is concluded shall be transferred by the treasurer into the treasury of such city or town.
MA Gen L ch 40 § 6 (2021)
2021 Massachusetts General Laws|Part I - Administration of the Government|Title VII - Cities, Towns and Districts|Chapter 40 - Powers and Duties of Cities and Towns|Section 6 - Towns; Reserve Funds for Extraordinary Expenditures; Establishment

Section 6. To provide for extraordinary or unforeseen expenditures, a town may at an annual or special town meeting appropriate or transfer a sum or sums not exceeding in the aggregate five per cent of the levy of the fiscal year preceding the fiscal year for which the fund, to be known as the reserve fund, is established. No direct drafts against this fund shall be made, but transfers from the fund may from time to time be voted by the finance or appropriation committee of the town, in towns having such a committee, and in other towns by the selectmen; and the town accountant in towns having such an official, and in other towns the auditor or board of auditors, shall make such transfers accordingly.
MA Gen L ch 40 § 6a (2021)
2021 Massachusetts General Laws|Part I - Administration of the Government|Title VII - Cities, Towns and Districts|Chapter 40 - Powers and Duties of Cities and Towns|Section 6a - Advertising

Section 6A. A city or town which accepts the provisions of this section may appropriate annually a sum for the purpose of advertising its resources, advantages and attractions. The money so appropriated shall be expended under the direction of the mayor and city council of the city or the board of selectmen of the town. Two or more municipalities having resources, advantages or attractions in common may join in advertising the same hereunder.
MA Gen L ch 40 § 6b (2021)
2021 Massachusetts General Laws|Part I - Administration of the Government|Title VII - Cities, Towns and Districts|Chapter 40 - Powers and Duties of Cities and Towns|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 accepted this section may appropriate money for the purchase of uniforms for members of its police and fire departments and its shellfish constabulary, which may include the purchase of rubber boots, shoes, and other outer clothing necessary for the use of members of the police and fire departments and shellfish constabulary when traveling to or from or during the course of their employment.  A city or town which appropriates money for uniforms for the uniformed members of its police force may appropriate money to be paid as a clothing allowance to an officer serving as a detective or required to work without a uniform; provided, that the sum so paid as a clothing allowance to a member, serving as a detective or required to work without a uniform, shall not in any event exceed any maximum amount established by a city or town as the amount that may be expended by the city or town during a given year, for uniform clothing, for a uniformed member of said force under the provisions of this section.
MA Gen L ch 40 § 6c (2021)
2021 Massachusetts General Laws|Part I - Administration of the Government|Title VII - Cities, Towns and Districts|Chapter 40 - Powers and Duties of Cities and Towns|Section 6c - Removal of Ice and Snow From Private Ways; Conditions

Section 6C. A city or town which accepts this section in the manner provided in section six D may appropriate money for the removal of snow and ice from such private ways within its limits and open to the public use as may be designated by the city council or selectmen; provided, that, for the purposes of section twenty-five of chapter eighty-four, the removal of snow or ice from such a way shall not constitute a repair of a way.
MA Gen L ch 40 § 6d (2021)
2021 Massachusetts General Laws|Part I - Administration of the Government|Title VII - Cities, Towns and Districts|Chapter 40 - Powers and Duties of Cities and Towns|Section 6d - Removal of Ice and Snow From Private Ways; Submission to Electorate; Ballot

Section 6D. Section six C shall be submitted for acceptance to the registered voters of a city at a regular city election if the city council thereof so votes, and of a town at an annual town election upon petition of two hundred registered voters or of twenty per cent of the total number of registered voters, substantially in the form of the following question, which shall be placed on the official ballot used for the election of officers at such city or town election:  Shall the city (or town) vote to accept the provisions of section six C of chapter forty of the General Laws, which authorize cities and towns to appropriate money for the removal of snow and ice from private ways therein open to public use?  If a majority of the votes in answer to said question is in the affirmative, then said section shall thereupon take full effect in such city or town, but not otherwise.
MA Gen L ch 40 § 6j (2021)
2021 Massachusetts General Laws|Part I - Administration of the Government|Title VII - Cities, Towns and Districts|Chapter 40 - Powers and Duties of Cities and Towns|Section 6j - Stormy Weather Work Clothes; Purchase

Section 6J. A city or town which accepts this section may appropriate money for the purchase of stormy weather work clothes, including rubber boots, and other work clothes for its employees.
MA Gen L ch 40 § 6k (2021)
2021 Massachusetts General Laws|Part I - Administration of the Government|Title VII - Cities, Towns and Districts|Chapter 40 - Powers and Duties of Cities and Towns|Section 6k - Uniforms of Public Health Nurses; Purchase

Section 6K. A city or town which accepts this section may appropriate money for the purchase of uniforms for public health nurses employed by its board of health.
MA Gen L ch 40 § 6l (2021)
2021 Massachusetts General Laws|Part I - Administration of the Government|Title VII - Cities, Towns and Districts|Chapter 40 - Powers and Duties of Cities and Towns|Section 6l - Stormy Weather Work Clothes; Lease or Rental

Section 6L. A city or town which accepts this section may appropriate money for the lease or rental of stormy weather work clothes, including rubber boots, and other work clothes for its employees, which lease or rental agreement may provide for periodical laundering and repairs.
MA Gen L ch 40 § 6n (2021)
2021 Massachusetts General Laws|Part I - Administration of the Government|Title VII - Cities, Towns and Districts|Chapter 40 - Powers and Duties of Cities and Towns|Section 6n - Private Ways; Temporary Repairs, Ordinances or By-Laws

Section 6N. Cities and towns may by ordinance or by-law provide for making temporary repairs on private ways. Such ordinance or by-law shall determine (a) the type and extent of repairs; (b) if drainage shall be included; (c) if the repairs are required by public necessity; (d) the number of percentage of abutters who must petition for such repairs; (e) if betterment charges shall be assessed; (f) the liability limit of the city or town on account of damages caused by such repairs; (g) if the ways shall have been opened to public use for a term of years; and (h) if a cash deposit shall be required for said repairs.
MA Gen L ch 40 § 6o (2021)
2021 Massachusetts General Laws|Part I - Administration of the Government|Title VII - Cities, Towns and Districts|Chapter 40 - Powers and Duties of Cities and Towns|Section 6o - Group Life Insurance Premiums; Permanent Employees

Section 6O. A city or town may pay part of the premiums for group life insurance for permanent employees under the provisions of section one hundred and thirty-three to one hundred and thirty-eight A, inclusive, of chapter one hundred and seventy-five. The amount of such insurance for any employees whose yearly gross compensation is less than two thousand dollars shall not exceed one thousand dollars, and for any employee whose yearly gross compensation is two thousand dollars or more, such amount shall not exceed two thousand dollars. Any increase in the amount of insurance made possible by an increase in compensation shall take effect on the next succeeding policy anniversary, but no reduction in the amount of insurance shall be required on account of a reduction in compensation. Yearly gross compensation shall not include any overtime pay, and, in the case of hourly workers, shall be computed on the basis of scheduled required work hours. Fifty percent of the amount of any premium thereon shall be paid by the town. Any dividends or other refunds or rate credits shall inure to the benefit of the town and shall be applied to the cost of such insurance.