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| 2 | 2 | | HOUSE DOCKET, NO. 2569 FILED ON: 1/16/2025 |
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| 3 | 3 | | HOUSE . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . No. 829 |
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| 4 | 4 | | The Commonwealth of Massachusetts |
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| 5 | 5 | | _________________ |
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| 6 | 6 | | PRESENTED BY: |
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| 7 | 7 | | Dennis C. Gallagher |
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| 8 | 8 | | _________________ |
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| 9 | 9 | | To the Honorable Senate and House of Representatives of the Commonwealth of Massachusetts in General |
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| 10 | 10 | | Court assembled: |
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| 11 | 11 | | The undersigned legislators and/or citizens respectfully petition for the adoption of the accompanying bill: |
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| 12 | 12 | | An Act Bridgewater town charter article II, legislative branch, term limits. |
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| 13 | 13 | | _______________ |
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| 14 | 14 | | PETITION OF: |
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| 15 | 15 | | NAME:DISTRICT/ADDRESS :DATE ADDED:Dennis C. Gallagher8th Plymouth1/16/2025 1 of 2 |
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| 16 | 16 | | HOUSE DOCKET, NO. 2569 FILED ON: 1/16/2025 |
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| 17 | 17 | | HOUSE . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . No. 829 |
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| 18 | 18 | | By Representative Gallagher of Bridgewater, a petition (accompanied by bill, House, No. 829) of |
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| 19 | 19 | | Dennis C. Gallagher (by vote of the town) relative to term limits in the town of Bridgewater. |
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| 20 | 20 | | Election Laws. [Local Approval Received.] |
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| 21 | 21 | | The Commonwealth of Massachusetts |
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| 22 | 22 | | _______________ |
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| 23 | 23 | | In the One Hundred and Ninety-Fourth General Court |
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| 24 | 24 | | (2025-2026) |
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| 25 | 25 | | _______________ |
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| 26 | 26 | | An Act Bridgewater town charter article II, legislative branch, term limits. |
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| 27 | 27 | | Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives in General Court assembled, and by the authority |
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| 28 | 28 | | of the same, as follows: |
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| 29 | 29 | | 1 ORDERED, that the Town Council assembled votes to amend the Bridgewater Home |
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| 30 | 30 | | 2Rule Charter, Article II, Section 2-12 and to send said amendment to the State Legislature as a |
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| 31 | 31 | | 3Special Act as follows: |
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| 32 | 32 | | 4 Section 2-12(b) shall be deleted in its entirety and replaced with the following: |
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| 33 | 33 | | 5 (b) Term Limits – |
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| 34 | 34 | | 6 (1) No person shall be eligible to be elected or appointed as a District Council member of |
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| 35 | 35 | | 7the Town Council if, at any point during the term of office for which the person may be elected |
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| 36 | 36 | | 8or appointed, the service of the eligible person would exceed four District Councilor elections |
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| 37 | 37 | | 9terms or appointments to the Town Council. |
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| 38 | 38 | | 10 (2) No person shall be eligible to be elected or appointed as an At-large Council member |
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| 39 | 39 | | 11of the Town Council if, at any point during the term of office for which the person may be 2 of 2 |
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| 40 | 40 | | 12elected or appointed, the service of the eligible person would exceed four elections terms or |
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| 41 | 41 | | 13appointments to the Town Council. |
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| 42 | 42 | | 14 (3) For the purpose of this section, prior service as an At-Large Councilor shall not |
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| 43 | 43 | | 15prevent seeking election as a District Councilor. Prior service as a District Councilor shall not |
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| 44 | 44 | | 16prevent seeking election as an At-Large Councilor. |
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| 45 | 45 | | 17 (4) A term lasting less than 24 months shall not be included in calculating the total |
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| 46 | 46 | | 18number of terms served by a member of the Town Council. |
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| 47 | 47 | | 19 Said Amendment shall only become effective and is contingent upon approval by the |
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| 48 | 48 | | 20Town Council, the State Legislature and the voters of the Town of Bridgewater. |
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