reglab/housing_qa huggingface dataset:
MA Gen L ch 40 § 12e (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 12e - Treasurer of District; Appointment; Bond; Powers and Duties

Section 12E. The treasurer of one of the municipalities comprising such district, designated by the commission, shall be treasurer of the district and shall give to the district a bond, with a surety company authorized to transact business in the commonwealth as surety, for the faithful performance of his duties as treasurer of the district in such sum and upon such conditions as the commissioner of revenue may require. The district treasurer shall disburse the money received under the provisions of section twelve B upon warrants.
MA Gen L ch 40 § 12f (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 12f - Employees

Section 12F. Persons employed at such beaches shall be employees of the cities and towns in the district where they reside and not employees of the district, and shall retain all their retirement and civil service rights.
MA Gen L ch 40 § 12g (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 12g - Leasing of Concessions; Procedure

Section 12G. Said commission may at any time in its discretion lease or let out upon such terms and conditions as it sees fit, concessions or grants to operate any bathhouse, parking area or any recreational facility to any persons or corporations, such concessions or grants, however, to be leased or let out after public hearing and then to the highest responsible bidder therefor.
MA Gen L ch 40 § 13 (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 13 - Municipal Buildings Insurance Fund; Management; Use

Section 13. A town which at a meeting, or a city which by its city council accepts this section, or has in like manner accepted corresponding provisions of earlier laws, may appropriate an amount not exceeding in any one year one twentieth of one per cent of its equalized valuation as defined in section one of chapter forty-four to establish and maintain a municipal buildings insurance fund from which any municipal buildings or other municipal property damaged or destroyed or lost by fire, lightning, vandalism, burglary, theft or otherwise, may be repaired, rebuilt or replaced by other buildings or property to be used in place thereof; but no money shall be appropriated for such purpose while the fund equals or exceeds one per cent of such equalized valuation. Such fund shall be managed and administered by the sinking fund commissioners of the town, if any, otherwise by the commissioners of trust funds of the town.  If a city or town which has established such a fund in accordance with this section has neglected or failed for a period of five consecutive years to appropriate for such fund, for any reason other than that the maximum amount authorized by this section has been accumulated, it may vote appropriations from such fund and the income therefrom for the purpose of paying a proper charge for effecting fire insurance on municipal buildings or other municipal property against loss or damage by fire, lightning or otherwise; provided, that nothing in this paragraph shall prevent any city or town from appropriating money for effecting fire insurance under authority of any other general or special law applicable thereto.
MA Gen L ch 40 § 13a (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 13a - Workers' Compensation Insurance Funds; Management

Section 13A. Any city or town which has accepted chapter eight hundred and seven of the acts of nineteen hundred and thirteen and which accepts this section, by vote of the city council or of the voters in town meeting, may appropriate an amount not exceeding in any one year one twentieth of one per cent of its equalized valuation as defined in section one of chapter forty-four, to establish and maintain an insurance fund to pay workers' compensation, from which any compensation payable under the provisions of sections sixty-nine to seventy-five, inclusive, of chapter one hundred and fifty-two shall be paid; but no money shall be appropriated for such purpose while the fund equals or exceeds one per cent of such equalized valuation. Such fund shall be managed and administered by the sinking fund commissioners of the city or town, if any, otherwise by the commissioners of trust funds of said city or town. If any city or town has such an insurance fund, it may appropriate from such fund, including the income thereof, such sums as may be necessary for the purpose of paying a proper charge for effecting insurance to cover its liability to pay workers' compensation.
MA Gen L ch 40 § 13b (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 13b - Residence Quarters for School Physicians

Section 13B. A town of not exceeding three thousand inhabitants which accepts this section by vote in town meeting may appropriate for free residence quarters for a school physician a sum not exceeding five hundred dollars.
MA Gen L ch 40 § 13c (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 13c - Workers' Compensation Claims Reserve Funds

Section 13C. Any city or town which accepts the provisions of this section and has elected to self insure its worker's compensation may establish reserves to pay worker's compensation claims until said claims are fully paid. Said claims reserves shall be segregated by fiscal year and all funds so reserved shall be managed by a designated fiscal officer of such city or town. Any funds remaining after all claims are paid for a particular year, may be placed in another fiscal year's claim reserve fund, if needed, or returned to general funds. Costs of reinsurance, if used, and outside claims and safety services may be disbursed from said funds.
MA Gen L ch 40 § 13d (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 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 provisions of this section by majority vote of its city council, the voters present at a town meeting or district meeting or by majority vote of a regional school committee may establish, appropriate or transfer money to a reserve fund for the future payment of accrued liabilities for compensated absences due any employee or full-time officer of the city or town upon the termination of the employee's or full-time officer's employment. The treasurer may invest the monies in the manner authorized by section 54 of chapter 44, and any interest earned thereon shall be credited to and become part of the fund. The city council, town meeting or district meeting may designate the municipal official to authorize payments from this fund, and in the absence of a designation, it shall be the responsibility of the chief executive officer of the city, town or district. In a regional school district, funds may be added to the reserve fund for the future payment of accrued liabilities only by appropriation in the annual budget voted on by the city council of member cities or at the annual town meeting of member towns.
MA Gen L ch 40 § 13e (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 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 a majority vote of the school committee and a majority vote of the legislative body or, in the case of a regional school district by a majority vote of the legislative bodies in a majority of the member communities of the district, may establish and appropriate or transfer money to a reserve fund to be utilized in the upcoming fiscal years, to pay, without further appropriation, for unanticipated or unbudgeted costs of special education and recovery high school programs, out-of-district tuition or transportation. The balance in such reserve fund shall not exceed 2 per cent of the annual net school spending of the school district.  Funds shall only be distributed from the reserve funds after a majority vote of the school committee and a majority vote of the board of selectman or city council, or, in the case of a regional school district by a majority vote of the board of selectmen or city council in a majority of the member communities of the district.  The district treasurer may invest the monies in the manner authorized in section 54 of chapter 44 and any interest earned thereon shall be credited to and become part of the fund.
MA Gen L ch 40 § 14 (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 14 - Purchase of Land; Conditions; Limitations; Definition

Section 14. The aldermen of any city, except Boston, or the selectmen of a town may purchase, or take by eminent domain under chapter seventy-nine, any land, easement or right therein within the city or town not already appropriated to public use, for any municipal purpose for which the purchase or taking of land, easement or right therein is not otherwise authorized or directed by statute; but no land, easement or right therein shall be taken or purchased under this section unless the taking or purchase thereof has previously been authorized by the city council or by vote of the town, nor until an appropriation of money, to be raised by loan or otherwise, has been made for the purpose by a two thirds vote of the city council or by a two thirds vote of the town, and no lot of land shall be purchased for any municipal purpose by any city subject to this section for a price more than twenty-five per cent in excess of its average assessed valuation during the previous three years.  The words ''municipal purpose'', as used in this section, shall include any such land, easement or right therein within the city or town, so purchased or taken by eminent domain for the purpose of conveying or granting the same to the commonwealth for the use of a regional community college.
MA Gen L ch 40 § 15 (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 15 - Abandonment of Rights in Realty; Conditions

Section 15. If any officer of a city or town having charge of any land, easement or right taken for such city or town, otherwise than by purchase, notifies the city council or the selectmen that, in his opinion, such land, easement or right, or part thereof, is no longer required for public purposes, and if thereafter the city council or the inhabitants of the town by a two thirds vote authorize the conveyance of such land, or of part thereof, or the abandonment of such easement or right, or part thereof, and specify the minimum amount to be paid for such conveyance or abandonment, the mayor or the selectmen may, for such amount or a larger amount, and upon such other terms as the mayor or selectmen shall consider proper, convey said land, or part thereof, by deed, or declare said easement or right, or part thereof, to be abandoned. Such declaration, being recorded in the registry of deeds for the district where the land is situated, shall extinguish the easement or right, or part thereof.  No land heretofore or hereafter acquired by eminent domain by one city or town within the limits of another city or town shall be conveyed under this section unless the mayor or selectmen authorized to convey such land offer to convey such land to the city or town wherein such land lies for the minimum amount specified as aforesaid, nor unless such offer is not accepted within six months after notice thereof is given to the mayor or selectmen of the city or town wherein such land lies by the mayor or selectmen authorized to convey, nor unless such conveyance is made within three months after the expiration of said six months. Land so offered to a city or town wherein it lies may be purchased by such city or town whether or not needed for the municipal purposes of such city or town, and, if so purchased and if such land is not needed for municipal purposes, it shall be disposed of as such city or town shall determine.
MA Gen L ch 40 § 15a (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 15a - Transfer of Land; Procedure

Section 15A. Whenever a board or officer having charge of land, including land acquired for playground purposes pursuant to the provisions of section fourteen of chapter forty-five, but excluding land acquired for park purposes, constituting the whole or any part of an estate held by a city or town within its limits for a specific purpose shall determine that such land is no longer needed for such purpose, whether such land was acquired before or after the effective date of this section and whether acquired by eminent domain, purchase, gift, devise or otherwise, such board or officer shall forthwith give notice of such determination to the city council of the city or the board of selectmen of the town. At any time after the receipt of such notice, the city council of the city by a two thirds vote of all its members, in the case of a city having a city manager, with the approval of said city manager, and in the case of other cities, with the approval of the mayor, or the town by a two thirds vote at a regular or special town meeting, may transfer the care, custody, management and control of such land to the same or another board or officer of the city or town for another specific municipal purpose, any provision of general or special law to the contrary notwithstanding; provided, that no such transfer shall be valid if it is in violation of any term or condition of the title of the city or town to such land.  In any city or town which accepts the provisions of this paragraph, when land is being transferred for the purpose of constructing low and moderate income housing, the vote required of the city council or the town meeting shall be by a majority vote.
MA Gen L ch 40 § 15b (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 15b - Water Supply Works; Sale or Exchange of Property

Section 15B. A town, city, or district authorized to furnish water for domestic purposes, may, with the advice and approval of the state department of environmental protection, sell at public or private sale, or may exchange any real property, or any easements, whether taken by eminent domain or otherwise, no longer needed for public water supply works under its charge, or may from time to time lease any property not then so needed, or may permit the use thereof by the public for recreational purposes; and may in its discretion, by lease, license or other agreement, permit the construction and maintenance on any land under its control of towers, poles, wires, and other structures for the purpose of transmitting electric power over lands and water held for water supply purposes; provided, that such lease, license or agreement will not, in the opinion of the said department, affect or interfere with the water supply; and provided, further, that said city, town or district may, with the approval of said department, revoke said lease, license or agreement for cause to be determined by it.  No land acquired by eminent domain by a city or town within the limits of another city or town, and no land of a district so acquired, may be sold or exchanged pursuant to this section unless it is offered to be conveyed to the city or town wherein it lies for a minimum amount, specified by vote of the city council or a town or district meeting, for which the city, town or district owning it is willing to sell it, nor unless such offer is not accepted within six months after notice thereof is given to the mayor or selectman of the city or town wherein such land lies, nor unless such conveyance is made within three months after the expiration of such six months.
MA Gen L ch 40 § 15c (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 15c - Scenic Road Designations; Improvements; Fines

Section 15C. Upon recommendation or request of the planning board, conservation commission or historical commission of any city or town, such city or town may designate any road in said city or town, other than a numbered route or state highway as a scenic road; provided, however, that a numbered route may be designated by a city or town as a scenic road if its entire length is contained within the boundaries of said city or town, and no part of said route is owned or maintained by the commonwealth.  After a road has been designated as a scenic road any repair, maintenance, reconstruction, or paving work done with respect thereto shall not involve or include the cutting or removal of trees, or the tearing down or destruction of stone walls, or portions thereof, except with the prior written consent of the planning board, or if there is no planning board, the selectmen of a town, or the city council of a city, after a public hearing duly advertised twice in a newspaper of general circulation in the area, as to time, date, place and purpose, the last publication to occur at least seven days prior to such hearing; provided, however, that when a public hearing must be held under the provisions of this section and under section three of chapter eighty-seven prior to the cutting or removal of a tree, such hearings shall be consolidated into a single public hearing before the tree warden and the planning board, or if there is no planning board, the selectmen of a town, or the city council of a city, and notice of such consolidated public hearing shall be given by the tree warden or his deputy as provided in said section three of chapter eighty-seven. Any city or town making said scenic road designation may make an ordinance or by-law establishing that a violation of this paragraph shall be punished by a fine not to exceed three hundred dollars.  Designation of a road as a scenic road shall not affect the eligibility of a city or town to receive construction or reconstruction aid for such road pursuant to the provisions of chapter ninety.
MA Gen L ch 40 § 16 (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 16 - Street Sprinkling

Section 16. A town may sprinkle or spread upon its public ways, or parts thereof, any liquid or material suitable for laying or preventing dust and preserving the surface of such ways or for sanitary purposes, may appropriate money therefor, and determine that with respect to the whole or any part of such ways the whole or any part of such expense shall be assessed upon the estates abutting thereon.
MA Gen L ch 40 § 17 (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 17 - Assessment

Section 17. If a city determines that the public ways or any portion thereof shall be sprinkled in whole or in part at the expense of the abutters, such expense for a municipal year, and the proportion thereof to be borne by abutters, and the rate to be assessed upon each linear foot of frontage upon such ways, shall be estimated and determined by the board of aldermen and assessed upon the estates abutting on such ways in proportion to the number of linear feet of each estate upon such ways or portion thereof sprinkled. The amount of such assessments upon each estate shall be determined by said board, or, if said board so designates, by the board of public works, board of street commissioners, superintendent of streets or other officer; and such board or officer shall, as soon as may be after the first day of January, cause a list of such ways or portions thereof to be made, specifying each estate and the number of linear feet thereof abutting thereon, the amount per linear foot, and the amount on each estate of such assessment, and certify and commit said list to the assessors of taxes. In a town such assessment shall be made by the assessors.
MA Gen L ch 40 § 18 (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 18 - Collection of Assessment

Section 18. The assessors shall include such assessment in the tax list and warrant committed by them to the collector of taxes for that municipal year, and it shall be included in the next annual tax bill, or if the estate so assessed is otherwise exempt from taxation, it shall be rendered as a tax bill. Such assessment shall be a lien upon the estate, and shall be levied, collected, reassessed, paid, apportioned, and bear interest and become payable, in the same manner as, and shall be a part of, the tax for that year on such estate; but in cities the assessors shall make no abatement thereof except upon the recommendation of the board or officer by whom the list was certified to them.
MA Gen L ch 40 § 19 (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 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 at reasonable rates during time of war, public exigency, emergency or distress a sufficient supply of food, other common necessaries of life and temporary shelter for their inhabitants, towns may raise and appropriate money outside of any limit imposed by law upon their tax rate or debt; but any bond, note or certificate of indebtedness issued therefor shall be payable in not more than two years from the date of its issue. The receipts from any undertaking or service authorized by this section shall not by applied to municipal purposes, other than those herein described, so long as there are any obligations outstanding issued on account of any such undertaking or service. The expenditure of all money so appropriated shall be under the direction of the mayor, or of an officer appointed by the mayor, with the approval of the city council in cities other than Boston, and in towns shall be under the direction of the selectmen or of an officer appointed by them.