What is the Ch 270 Law?

 

•Special Act applying just to MBTS passed in 1991 by Commonwealth of MA

•Signed by both Houses and Governor William Weld

•Reprinted at the end of our General Laws

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•In use today to issue new debt; Current threshold is for new bonds of > $1M

•Because it just makes sense to ensure that large expenditures get voted by those who have to pay them

•Extension of “No taxation without representation”

•Same quantum of voting as at Town Meeting; ½ or 2/3 of votes at ballot if that is required for TM

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Source of text (see ~ page 105):

https://manchester.ma.us/DocumentCenter/View/2000/General-Bylaws-

 

 

AN ACT REQUIRING THAT CERTAIN MEASURES IN THE TOWN OF MANCHESTERBY-THE-SEA BE APPROVED AT A TOWN ELECTION SECTION 1 Notwithstanding any general or special law to the contrary, in the Town of Manchester-by-the-Sea, no incurrence of indebtedness or other action that the Town's general by-law, as from time to time in effect, provides should be authorized pursuant to this Act, and no other action that a town meeting determines should be so authorized, shall be valid unless (i) with respect to such indebtedness or other action specified in the general by-law, the town meeting determines by majority vote that the incurrence of the indebtedness or the other action shall be submitted to the voters as a ballot question at a town election, and (ii) the ballot question as to such incurrence or as to the other action that is specified in the general by-law or that a town meeting has determined should be authorized pursuant to this Act is approved by a quantum of vote sufficient to authorize it at a town meeting. The election at which voters act on the question by ballot may be the annual election or a special election which the Select Board Member shall promptly call, held in either case not less than thirty and not more than sixty days after the dissolution of the meeting. The question submitted to voters as a ballot question shall appear on the ballot in the following form: "Do you approve of the measure summarized below?" A fair, concise summary of the measure, as determined by the town counsel, shall follow. The polls at such election shall be open as required by section sixty-four of the General Laws for the election of town officers, and all other provisions of the General Laws pertaining to town elections shall apply. No quorum shall be required in voting on any ballot questions under this act. SECTION 2 This act shall take effect upon its passage. [Enacted 1991]