reglab/housing_qa huggingface dataset:
MA Gen L ch 41 § 17 (2021)
2021 Massachusetts General Laws|Part I - Administration of the Government|Title VII - Cities, Towns and Districts|Chapter 41 - Officers and Employees of Cities, Towns and Districts|Section 17 - Filing of City Contracts; Penalty for Noncompliance

Section 17. Every officer of a city who makes or executes a contract on behalf of the city shall furnish said contract or a copy thereof to the city clerk and the city auditor within one week after its execution; and the city clerk shall keep such contract or copy on file, open to public inspection during business hours. Such contracts or copies shall be kept in a book by themselves or in several books, arranged according to the subject of the contract, or in other convenient form, and an index to the subject matter of the contracts and to the names of the contractors shall be made semi-annually, and shall also be open to public inspection in some convenient form. All allowances under and additions to such contracts, or copies thereof, shall be filed with the city clerk and the city auditor, together with a sworn statement of the officer making such allowances or additions that the same are correct and in accordance with the contract. A city clerk or other city officer failing to comply with this section shall be punished by a fine of not less than ten nor more than one hundred dollars.
MA Gen L ch 41 § 18 (2021)
2021 Massachusetts General Laws|Part I - Administration of the Government|Title VII - Cities, Towns and Districts|Chapter 41 - Officers and Employees of Cities, Towns and Districts|Section 18 - Assistant City Clerk

Section 18. A city may by ordinance establish the office of assistant city clerk, and prescribe the manner of his appointment and his powers and duties. His certificate or attestation shall have the same effect as that of the city clerk.
MA Gen L ch 41 § 18a (2021)
2021 Massachusetts General Laws|Part I - Administration of the Government|Title VII - Cities, Towns and Districts|Chapter 41 - Officers and Employees of Cities, Towns and Districts|Section 18a - Records of City Clerk; Attestation

Section 18A. The records of the city clerk of a city may be attested by the volume and it shall be deemed to be a sufficient attestation of each and all of the records contained therein when a volume of said records bears the attest with the written signature of the city clerk or of the assistant city clerk duly appointed under the provisions of section eighteen.
MA Gen L ch 41 § 18b (2021)
2021 Massachusetts General Laws|Part I - Administration of the Government|Title VII - Cities, Towns and Districts|Chapter 41 - Officers and Employees of Cities, Towns and Districts|Section 18b - Facsimile Signatures of City Clerk or Assistant City Clerk

Section 18B. A facsimile of the signature of a city clerk or of a duly appointed assistant city clerk, imprinted by either of them upon any original instrument in attestation of the fact that the said instrument has been recorded in the city clerk's office, shall have the same validity as the written signature of either of them.
MA Gen L ch 41 § 19 (2021)
2021 Massachusetts General Laws|Part I - Administration of the Government|Title VII - Cities, Towns and Districts|Chapter 41 - Officers and Employees of Cities, Towns and Districts|Section 19 - Assistant Town Clerks; Powers and Duties; Compensation

Section 19. The town clerk may in writing appoint an assistant clerk, who shall be sworn to the faithful performance of his duties; and a record shall be made of the appointment and oath. The assistant town clerk shall, in the absence of the clerk, perform his duties and have the powers and be subject to the requirements and penalties applicable to him, unless a temporary clerk is elected or appointed pursuant to section fourteen. Such duties and powers shall include acting as clerk of the board of registrars of voters, in a town where the town clerk performs this function; provided, that equal representation of the two leading political parties on said board, in accordance with section eighteen of chapter fifty-one, is not affected thereby. In towns having five thousand or more inhabitants an assistant clerk appointed under authority of this section shall not be subject to chapter thirty-one. An assistant clerk appointed under this section shall not be required to be a resident nor a registered voter of the town.
MA Gen L ch 41 § 19a (2021)
2021 Massachusetts General Laws|Part I - Administration of the Government|Title VII - Cities, Towns and Districts|Chapter 41 - Officers and Employees of Cities, Towns and Districts|Section 19a - Certificate of Appointment or Election of Clerk; Filing Requirements

Section 19A. Upon the appointment or election of a clerk or an assistant or temporary clerk of a city, town or district, or upon the appointment of a secretary or temporary secretary of a regional school district, the officer making the appointment, otherwise the president of the city council of such city, the chairman of the board of selectmen of such town, the chairman of the prudential committee, if any, otherwise the chairman of the commissioners of such district, or the chairman of the regional district school committee shall execute and file with the state secretary a certificate of such appointment or election, which shall specify the date thereof and the date of the expiration of the term of office, if any, otherwise that the tenure of office is unlimited, and which shall have appended thereto a statement signed by the person appointed or elected that he has entered upon the duties of such office. Upon presentation to the state secretary of a paper attested by any person as the holder of any such office, said secretary shall have authority to certify that such person is the holder thereof and attest to the genuineness of his signature.
MA Gen L ch 41 § 19b (2021)
2021 Massachusetts General Laws|Part I - Administration of the Government|Title VII - Cities, Towns and Districts|Chapter 41 - Officers and Employees of Cities, Towns and Districts|Section 19b - City and Town Clerks; Tenure of Office

Section 19B. Every city or town clerk under age seventy duly elected or appointed, except a temporary clerk, who has served therein continuously not less than five years, shall, notwithstanding any contrary provision of general or special laws, hold office during good behavior until he has attained age seventy in any city or town in which this section is accepted as hereinafter provided, but subject, however, to retirement under the provisions of any applicable general or special law relative to retirement systems.
MA Gen L ch 41 § 19c (2021)
2021 Massachusetts General Laws|Part I - Administration of the Government|Title VII - Cities, Towns and Districts|Chapter 41 - Officers and Employees of Cities, Towns and Districts|Section 19c - Acceptance of Sec. 19b; Procedure; Petition

Section 19C. In cities, and in any town using official ballots, acceptance of the provisions of section nineteen B shall be by vote in answer to a question placed on the official ballot at a regular city or town election as hereinafter provided; and in towns not using official ballots at town elections, such acceptance shall be by vote at an annual town meeting.  If there is filed with the clerk of a city or town a petition requesting the acceptance of the provisions of section nineteen B containing the signatures of not less than five thousand registered voters or of five per cent of the registered voters of such city or town, whichever is the lesser number, such question shall be submitted for acceptance to the registered voters at the next regular annual or biennial city election or the next annual town election or annual town meeting, as the case may be, which occurs more than sixty days after the filing of such petition.  All such petitions shall bear the endorsement thereon of the names and addresses of three registered voters designated as filing the same. The provisions of law relative to the signing of nomination papers of candidates for elective office and to the identification and certification of names thereon, submission to the registrars therefor and filing objections thereto shall apply, so far as apt, to petitions filed under this section. The registrars of voters shall within five days after such submission ascertain by what number of registered voters such petition has been signed, and shall make and certify a statement of their determination in detail, setting forth such number and whether or not the same has been signed by the number of registered voters herein required, and shall attach such statement to said petition.  If such petition bears the signatures of registered voters in the number herein required, as shown by the statement of the registrars of voters, and has been filed seasonably with the city clerk or with the town clerk of any town using official ballots, and the said clerk finds the same to be in order, he shall cause the following question to be printed on the official ballot to be used for the election of city or town officers, at such regular city or town election, as the case may be:—   ''Shall the (city) (town) vote to accept the provisions of section nineteen B of chapter forty-one of the General Laws and thereby provide permanent tenure for (name of incumbent), the present incumbent in the office of (city) (town) clerk?''  If a majority of the votes in answer to said question is in the affirmative and the incumbent's term is a continuing one or if the incumbent's term is expiring and he was re-elected, then said section shall thereupon take full effect in said city or town, but not otherwise.
MA Gen L ch 41 § 19d (2021)
2021 Massachusetts General Laws|Part I - Administration of the Government|Title VII - Cities, Towns and Districts|Chapter 41 - Officers and Employees of Cities, Towns and Districts|Section 19d - Removal or Suspension of Clerk Having Permanent Tenure

Section 19D. After the acceptance of the provisions of section nineteen B in any city or town, the incumbent city or town clerk shall not be removed from office, lowered in rank, or suspended, except for just cause, and for reasons specifically given him in writing by the city council or board of aldermen or other appointing authority as the case may be, in the case of cities, or by the board of selectmen in the case of towns. Before any action affecting employment is taken, the said clerk shall be given a full hearing before the appropriate board as referred to in the preceding sentence, of which hearing he shall have at least five days' written notice, exclusive of Sundays and holidays, from said appropriate board, and he shall be allowed to answer charges preferred against him either personally or by counsel. He shall be notified in writing within three days after the hearing of the decision of said board, stating fully and specifically the reasons for removal or suspension.  Within thirty days after the date of the decision of said board following a hearing as set forth in the preceding paragraph, any city or town clerk who was removed, lowered in rank, or suspended, may bring a petition in the district court within the judicial district in which such clerk resides, praying that the action of said board in removing, lowering him in rank, or suspending him, as the case may be, may be reviewed by the court, and, after such notice in writing to the board which has ordered such removal, lowering in rank, or suspension, as the court deems necessary, it shall hear witnesses, review such action and determine whether or not upon all the evidence such action was justified. If the court finds that such action was justified, the action of the said city council, board of aldermen or board of selectmen, as the case may be, shall be affirmed; otherwise, it shall be reversed and the petitioner shall be reinstated in his office without loss of compensation.
MA Gen L ch 41 § 19e (2021)
2021 Massachusetts General Laws|Part I - Administration of the Government|Title VII - Cities, Towns and Districts|Chapter 41 - Officers and Employees of Cities, Towns and Districts|Section 19e - Procedure for Filling Vacancy Following Death or Removal of Clerk Having Permanent Tenure

Section 19E. In any city or town in which the clerk has been given permanent tenure by the acceptance of the provisions of section nineteen B, such tenure in office shall be effective only during the incumbency of the person who held such office at the time said section was accepted and it shall not extend to his successor in office. Whenever any vacancy shall occur in the office of city or town clerk in any city or town by reason of the death, retirement, resignation, attaining age seventy or removal of an incumbent who had been given such tenure, his successor, in the case of cities, shall be appointed, or elected as provided by the charter of such city or by the applicable provisions of any general or special law in effect at the time such vacancy occurs; and, in the case of towns, his successor shall be elected in accordance with the provisions of section one of chapter forty-one of the General Laws. Whenever such vacancy occurs in the office of clerk in any town, or in any city in which it is provided by law or by its charter that the city clerk shall be elected by popular vote at a regular election, a temporary clerk may be appointed as provided by section fourteen of said chapter forty-one to serve until the qualification of such duly elected city or town clerk as shall be elected at the next regular annual or biennial election at which such officer shall be elected.  Nothing herein contained, however, shall be construed to prohibit any successor in such office of city or town clerk from obtaining tenure after serving continuously not less than five years by the filing of another petition requesting acceptance of section nineteen B and its acceptance by the registered voters as set forth in section nineteen C.
MA Gen L ch 41 § 19f (2021)
2021 Massachusetts General Laws|Part I - Administration of the Government|Title VII - Cities, Towns and Districts|Chapter 41 - Officers and Employees of Cities, Towns and Districts|Section 19f - Additional Compensation for Serving as Clerk of City Council

Section 19F. In any city which accepts this section, the city clerk shall, if in said city, he is required by statute or ordinance to serve as clerk of the city council, and notwithstanding any provision of section thirty-three A of chapter forty-four or any other general or special law to the contrary, be paid for such services, a salary of a minimum amount of one thousand dollars but not more than four thousand dollars, which shall be in addition to any other compensation to which he may be entitled as clerk of such city.
MA Gen L ch 41 § 19g (2021)
2021 Massachusetts General Laws|Part I - Administration of the Government|Title VII - Cities, Towns and Districts|Chapter 41 - Officers and Employees of Cities, Towns and Districts|Section 19g - Additional Compensation for Serving as Member of Registrars of Voters

Section 19G. A clerk of a city or town who also serves as a member of its board of registrars of voters shall, in addition to any compensation to which he may be entitled as city or town clerk, receive the sum of fifty dollars, and, if the number of registered voters exceeds one thousand, an additional fifty dollars for each additional thousand of registered voters or major fraction thereof, provided, however, that the total payment for such service as a member of said board shall not exceed fifteen hundred dollars in any year, except as provided in section nineteen H.
MA Gen L ch 41 § 19h (2021)
2021 Massachusetts General Laws|Part I - Administration of the Government|Title VII - Cities, Towns and Districts|Chapter 41 - Officers and Employees of Cities, Towns and Districts|Section 19h - Maximum Amount of Additional Compensation for Serving as Member of Registrars of Voters

Section 19H. Notwithstanding the limitation contained in section nineteen G, in a city or town which accepts this section the total amount of additional compensation payable to its clerk who also serves as a member of its board of registrars of voters shall not exceed two thousand dollars.
MA Gen L ch 41 § 19i (2021)
2021 Massachusetts General Laws|Part I - Administration of the Government|Title VII - Cities, Towns and Districts|Chapter 41 - Officers and Employees of Cities, Towns and Districts|Section 19i - Additional Compensation for Serving in Other City or Town Positions

Section 19I. Notwithstanding the provisions of chapter two hundred and sixty-eight A, any clerk of a city or town who also serves in any other position for such city or town may in addition to any compensation to which he may be entitled as such city or town clerk receive such additional compensation for such additional services as the selectmen, town meeting, town counsel or mayor and city council may provide.
MA Gen L ch 41 § 19j (2021)
2021 Massachusetts General Laws|Part I - Administration of the Government|Title VII - Cities, Towns and Districts|Chapter 41 - Officers and Employees of Cities, Towns and Districts|Section 19j - Additional Compensation for Serving as Member of Board of Registrars of Voters

Section 19J. Notwithstanding the provisions of sections nineteen G and nineteen H, a city or town which accepts this section may compensate a clerk of a city or town who also serves as a member of its board of registrars of voters, in addition to any compensation to which such clerk is entitled as city or town clerk, a sum not less than fifty dollars but not to exceed one hundred dollars, and, if the number of registered voters exceeds one thousand, an additional sum not less than fifty dollars but not to exceed one hundred dollars for each additional thousand of registered voters or major fraction thereof; provided, however, that the total payment for such service as a member of said board shall not exceed four thousand dollars in any year.
MA Gen L ch 41 § 19k (2021)
2021 Massachusetts General Laws|Part I - Administration of the Government|Title VII - Cities, Towns and Districts|Chapter 41 - Officers and Employees of Cities, Towns and Districts|Section 19k - Additional Compensation for Town Clerk

Section 19K. In any town, that accepts this section, a town clerk who has completed the necessary courses of study and training, and has been awarded a certificate by the Massachusetts Town Clerks' Association as a certified Massachusetts municipal clerk, shall receive as compensation from such town, in addition to the regular annual compensation paid by such town for services in such office, an amount equal to 10 per cent of such regular annual compensation, but not more than $1,000 per year. In order to qualify for such additional compensation, a town clerk shall submit to the board of selectmen of such town proof of the award of such certificate. The additional compensation provided in this section shall be prorated for any 12 month period in which an eligible person does not hold the office of town clerk for 12 consecutive months. Such additional compensation shall discontinue when certification is discontinued or withdrawn.
MA Gen L ch 41 § 20 (2021)
2021 Massachusetts General Laws|Part I - Administration of the Government|Title VII - Cities, Towns and Districts|Chapter 41 - Officers and Employees of Cities, Towns and Districts|Section 20 - Selectmen; Duties and Oath; Penalty

Section 20. Selectmen shall, upon the receipt and approval of the bond of a collector of taxes or treasurer, give written notice thereof to the assessors. The selectmen shall be assessors of taxes in towns which have not authorized the election of such officers; and before acting as assessors they shall take the oath required of assessors. A person elected a selectman who enters upon the performance of his duties before taking the oath of office shall forfeit not more than one hundred dollars.
MA Gen L ch 41 § 21 (2021)
2021 Massachusetts General Laws|Part I - Administration of the Government|Title VII - Cities, Towns and Districts|Chapter 41 - Officers and Employees of Cities, Towns and Districts|Section 21 - Authorization for Selectmen to Act as or Appoint Other Town Officers

Section 21. By vote of a town meeting called for the purpose in any town at least sixty days before an annual meeting, or upon request by petition of ten per cent of the qualified voters of any town filed with the selectmen thereof at least sixty days before an annual town meeting, asking that the selectmen act as a water and sewer board, water commissioners, water and municipal light commissioners, municipal light board, sewer commissioners, park commissioners, board of public works, board of health, assessors, or commission of public safety, or perform the duties of such boards or officers or any of them or that cemetery commissioners, assessors, a superintendent of streets, a chief of the police and fire departments or board of health be thereafter appointed by the selectmen, the selectmen of such town shall include in the warrant for such annual meeting for submission to the voters such question or questions in the following form, to be placed on the official ballot in towns using such ballot:—  Shall the town vote to have its selectmen act as _______?  Shall the town vote to have its selectmen appoint _______?  If a town, in which the selectmen are elected for terms of one year, shall vote in accordance with this section that its selectmen shall act as or perform the duties of any of the aforesaid boards or officers, it shall, at the next annual meeting, elect one selectman for one year, one for two years and one for three years, or, if five are to be elected, one for one year, two for two years and two for three years, and thereafter in either event shall elect them for terms of three years. Upon the election and qualification of the selectmen at such next annual meeting, and upon the appointment and qualification by oath of the officers herein authorized to perform the duties of any existing town board or officer, the term of office of such existing board or officer shall thereupon terminate, and all the duties, powers and obligations of said boards and officers shall be transferred to and imposed upon their successors.
MA Gen L ch 41 § 21a (2021)
2021 Massachusetts General Laws|Part I - Administration of the Government|Title VII - Cities, Towns and Districts|Chapter 41 - Officers and Employees of Cities, Towns and Districts|Section 21a - Removal of Persons Appointed to Positions of Chief of Police or Head of Municipal Police Department

Section 21A. In any city or town which accepts the provisions of this section, any person who is appointed to the position of chief of police or head of the municipal police department in a city, town, or district, shall not be removed from such position until a hearing is held by the appointing authority. For the purpose of this section only failure of reappointment shall be deemed to be a removal. The provisions of this section shall apply only to persons appointed to such positions under the provisions of section twenty-one.
MA Gen L ch 41 § 22 (2021)
2021 Massachusetts General Laws|Part I - Administration of the Government|Title VII - Cities, Towns and Districts|Chapter 41 - Officers and Employees of Cities, Towns and Districts|Section 22 - Officers Appointed by Selectmen; Tenure; Compensation; Vacancies

Section 22. Officers appointed by authority of a vote under the preceding section shall hold office until removed by the selectmen, and shall receive such salary as the selectmen may determine, subject to the appropriations of the town therefor; and any vacancies existing in any of said offices under the supervision and control of the selectmen shall be filled in the manner of an original appointment.