24-A - Terms of office of elective officers.

§  24-a. Terms of office of elective officers. 1.  Notwithstanding the  provisions of section twenty-four of this chapter or any  other  general  law,  and  at  least  one  hundred fifty days prior to any biennial town  election, the town board of any town may adopt a resolution  to  provide  that  the  term  of  office  of  each  and  any  elective  town official  thereafter elected shall be four years, and  such  resolution  shall  be  submitted  to  the  qualified electors of the town for their approval or  disapproval at the next biennial town election. No such resolution shall  become effective until approved by the affirmative vote of the  majority  of  the  qualified  electors of the town voting on such proposition. The  submission of such proposition shall be as provided in article seven  of  this chapter for a referendum thereunder in like manner as if a petition  therefor  had  been  filed  in  accordance  with  the provisions of this  chapter, except that such proposition  shall  be  submitted  only  at  a  biennial town election as hereinbefore provided. If the town board shall  have  adopted  such  a resolution and if a majority of the votes cast on  any such proposition when submitted as herein provided shall be  in  the  affirmative, the terms of office of those town officers included in such  proposition and thereafter elected shall be for a period of four years.    2.  In  those  towns where the term of office of elected officials has  been set at four years pursuant to subdivision one of this section,  and  at least one hundred fifty days prior to any biennial town election, the  town  board may adopt a resolution to provide that the term of office of  each and any elective town official, whose term of office was changed to  four years as provided in subdivision one of  this  section,  thereafter  elected  shall  be  two years, and such resolution shall be submitted to  the qualified electors of the town for their approval or disapproval  at  the  next  biennial  town  election.  No  such  resolution  shall become  effective until approved by the affirmative vote of the majority of  the  qualified   electors  of  the  town  voting  on  such  proposition.  The  submission of such proposition shall be as provided in article seven  of  this chapter for a referendum thereunder in like manner as if a petition  therefor  had  been  filed  in  accordance  with  the provisions of this  chapter, except that such proposition  shall  be  submitted  only  at  a  biennial town election as hereinbefore provided. If the town board shall  have  adopted  such  a resolution and if a majority of the votes cast on  any such proposition when submitted as herein provided shall be  in  the  affirmative, the terms of office of those town officers included in such  proposition and thereafter elected shall be for a period of two years.