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S 2719

Relates to authorizing the city of Niagara Falls to add unpaid housing code violation penalties, costs and fines to such city's annual tax levy

2025 Regular Session Introduced by Rob Ortt

Amends Ipswich town charter to drop the town manager residency requirement and set 3-year terms with oath, bond, and clear vacancy/temporary-appointment rules.

REFERRED TO LOCAL GOVERNMENT
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Bill Summary · S 2719

Summary — S 2719

Short title (as printed): Low-Income First-Time Homebuyers Act of 2025 (LIFT Homebuyers Act of 2025)
Actual text: Amendments to the charter of the Town of Ipswich (Commonwealth of Massachusetts) to eliminate a residency requirement for the town manager and to revise appointment/vacancy procedures.
Status: Referred to Local Government (with Senate amendment text substituted for House Bill H4243)
Introduced: September 4, 2025

Note: The bill packet provided contains inconsistent headings and sponsor lists that appear unrelated to the substantive text. The operative legislative text in S 2719 amends the Ipswich town charter; the bill name and listed federal sponsors appear to be mismatched to that text. This summary focuses on the charter amendments contained in the bill text.

Purpose / Intent

To revise the Town of Ipswich charter provisions governing the appointment, term, qualifications and temporary filling of the town manager position — specifically removing any residency requirement and clarifying appointment, bond, oath, vacancy and temporary appointment rules.

Key provisions

  • Term and appointment
    • The select board shall appoint a town manager to a 3-year term.
    • The town manager must be qualified by education, training and experience; appointment must be made without regard to the appointee’s political beliefs.
    • The select board may reappoint an incumbent to successive 3-year terms as it deems appropriate.
  • Oath and bond
    • Before assuming duties, the town manager must be sworn in by the select board chair, town clerk, or a justice of the peace.
    • The town manager must execute a fidelity/performance bond in favor of the town in an amount and with surety(s) approved by the select board.
  • Vacancy and temporary appointments
    • Vacancies must be filled “as soon as possible” by select board appointment.
    • Pending a permanent appointment, the select board may appoint a temporary town manager. Such a temporary appointment must be made within 30 days of the vacancy.
    • A temporary appointment may run up to 180 days and may be extended once for an additional period not to exceed 180 days (total potential temporary period up to 360 days).
    • Compensation for a temporary town manager is set by the select board but may not exceed the rate approved by the select board for the (permanent) town manager.

Who is affected

  • Town of Ipswich governance and administration (select board and town manager candidates).
  • Individuals who would have been subject to a residency requirement for the town manager (the residency requirement is removed).
  • Potentially taxpayers only to the extent of compensation or bond costs, though the bill places a cap on temporary appointee pay relative to the approved town manager rate.

Procedural / timeline aspects

  • The text specifies that the act “shall take effect upon its passage.”
  • Legislative actions show the Senate recommended new text and substituted it for House Bill H4243 on November 13, 2025; the bill was referred to the Committee on Banking, Housing, and Urban Affairs on September 4, 2025 and to Local Government (dates listed).

Notes / Caveats

  • The provided materials include mismatched titles, sponsor lists and related-bill references that do not align with the charter amendment text. Confirm with official legislative sources (Massachusetts General Court records for H4243/S2719) for final bill captioning, sponsors, and authoritative version before citing or acting on this summary.

Compiled from official sources — confirm details with the bill’s official record.

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