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A. Nomination/Election Process
A member of a Board, Committee, or Commission may assume their position either through appointment by a Town appointing authority or election by town-wide election.
B. Oath of Office – Beginning of Term
In the Town of Belmont, a new or reappointed member must be sworn in to their position before serving. Most commonly, this is done at the office of the Town Clerk.
Every elected member and every appointed member of every board or commission of a town, and every other elected officer and every appointed officer of a town, shall also, before entering upon his/her official duties, be sworn to the faithful performance thereof.
C. Committee Duration
1. Permanent
(From Town of Belmont Bylaws, Article 3, 3.2). “The members of each permanent appointed board shall be appointed for a term of three years ending on June 30 of the third year following the year of appointment, except that, when appointing the initial members of a newly established permanent appointed board or when appointing the members of a permanent appointed board established prior to the effective date of this Article the members of which had been appointed for a term of one year, the appointing
authority shall appoint as nearly one-third of the members as possible for terms expiring on June 30 of the first, second and third years, respectively, following the year of appointment. The members of permanent appointed boards shall serve until their respective successors are appointed and qualified.”
2. Temporary
In the case where a committee is appointed on a temporary basis, the members will serve until the appointing body states that the usefulness of the committee has been fulfilled, or until a member resigns.
D. Vacancies/Resignations of Membership
In the event that a Board, Committee or Commission member finds that he/she cannot fulfill his/her term of office, he/she must offer a written resignation to the appointing authority, with a copy to the Chairperson and the Town Clerk as soon as possible. A copy of the letter should also be forwarded to: Coordinator, Committees & Commissions, Office of the Selectmen, 455 Concord Ave., Belmont, MA 02478.
1. Special Requirement(s) to fill vacancy on Town board
In most cases, appointing authorities have discretion when they will fill vacancies in permanent committees. It has been the Board of Selectmen’s practice to defer the filling of vacancies until the annual appointment process unless there is a compelling reason to do so. Vacancies in elective boards are filled pursuant to Chapter 41, section 11:
MGL Chapter 41: Section 11. If there is a vacancy in a board consisting of two or more members, except a board whose members have been elected by proportional representation under chapter fifty-four A, the remaining members shall give written notice thereof, within one month of said vacancy, to the selectmen, who, with the remaining member or members of such board, shall, after one week's notice, fill such vacancy by roll call vote. The selectmen shall fill such vacancy if such board fails to give said notice within the time herein specified. A majority of the votes of the officers entitled to vote shall be necessary to such election. The person so appointed or elected shall be a registered voter of the Town and shall perform the duties of the office until the next annual meeting or until another is
qualified.
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