Massachusetts
Total Page:16
File Type:pdf, Size:1020Kb
Massachusetts Massachusetts ranks 33rd among the states in number of County area. Administrative services—the jail, the sheriff, local governments, with 841 as of June 2002. the courthouse, and the deed registry—previously pro- vided by the county government will be transferred to the state government. COUNTY GOVERNMENTS (5) In Massachusetts counties with county government, the The entire area of the state is encompassed by county governing body is called the board of county commission- government except for the following areas: ers. Nantucket County County governments in Massachusetts perform limited Suffolk County functions. County governments traditionally have been responsible for provision of jails and other correctional The area and the governing body of Nantucket County are institutions, recording of deeds, and provision of court- identical with those of the town of Nantucket; the town houses. The counties may also maintain agricultural selectmen serve as county commissioners. Nantucket is schools (see ’’Public School Systems,’’ below) and hospi- counted as a town government, rather than as a county tals. government, in census reporting. State legislation enacted in 1985 empowers each county, Suffolk County encompasses an area larger than the city except Barnstable County that became a home-rule county of Boston, but is substantially consolidated with that city in 1988, to adopt a charter or to revise an existing charter. for governmental purposes. The combined city and county A charter study commission formed for such purpose is government is counted as a municipal government, rather charged with the review of functions provided by the than as a county government, in census reporting.1 county government and with the determination of what, if any, form of county government will exist in each county. Legislation to abolish seven county governments has been Each county has the option of having all or a part of the enacted by the state legislature: traditional county administrative activities—the jail, the sheriff, the courthouse, and the deed registry—transferred Effective July 1, 1997 to the state government. The sheriff and the registrar of Franklin County deeds, if transferred to the state government, become Middlesex County state government employees, but continue to be locally elected officials. Suffolk County transferred the county Effective July 1, 1998 deed registry to the state government effective September Hampden County 1, 1998. Worcester County Subject to county referendum, a county may adopt one of Effective January 1, 1999 three forms of government—county executive plan, Hampshire County county manager plan, or board chairperson plan—set forth in general laws. In lieu of adopting a form of government Effective July 1, 1999 specified in general laws, subject to state legislative enact- Essex County ment, a county has the option to: Effective June 30, 2000 Operate under a special charter. Berkshire County Operate under an unchanged form of county government. Operate under a modified form of the existing county gov- The Franklin Regional Council of Governments Authority, ernment after determining which county agencies and classified as a special district government for census pur- operations will be changed, which will remain a part of poses, was created by special act. It provides services on a the county government, and which will be placed under fee-for-service basis for 26 townships within the Franklin another governmental system. Abolish the county government after determining that all or some of the county agencies or operations will be 1The cities of Chelsea and Revere, and the town of Winthrop, all located in Suffolk County, continue to exist as separate gov- taken over by the state or allowed to exist as part of a ernments. regional system. Governments—State Descriptions Massachusetts 1 U.S. Census Bureau SUBCOUNTY GENERAL PURPOSE GOVERNMENTS Dependent Public School Systems (248) (351) Massachusetts statutes provide for the following types of The 351 subcounty general purpose governments in Mas- dependent public school systems: sachusetts comprise 45 municipal (city) governments and State dependent systems (1): 306 town governments. These two types of governments Essex Agricultural and Technical High School are distinguished primarily by the historical circumstances Systems dependent on county governments (2): surrounding their incorporation. In Massachusetts, city County agricultural schools and town governments have similar powers and perform similar functions. Systems dependent on municipal governments (44): City school systems Municipal Governments (45) Systems dependent on town governments (205): 2 The term ‘‘municipality’’, as defined for census statistics Town school systems on governments, applies only to cities in Massachusetts. Essex Agricultural and Technical High School was taken Towns, which are treated as municipalities in Massachu- over by the state when its parent county was abolished in setts statutes, are counted for census purposes as towns 1999. It is governed by a board of trustees consisting of rather than municipal governments (see below). Massa- seven members, which are appointed by the governor. chusetts cities are established by special acts of the Gen- County agricultural schools are governed by boards of eral Court (the minimum population requirement for incor- trustees consisting of the board of county commissioners poration as a city is 12,000). Cities exist outside the area in an ex officio capacity plus other members appointed by of any town and, in addition to usual city functions, have the Governor. They are financed through county appro- responsibility for services handled in other parts of the priations. County agricultural schools are classified for state by town governments. Cities may adopt home-rule census purposes as dependent agencies of county govern- charters or one of several standard charters. ments and are not counted as separate governments. In June 2002, there were only two of these schools in opera- Town or Township Governments (306) tion. Although not differing in legally authorized powers from In June 2002, there were 44 city school systems and 205 cities, units in Massachusetts designated as ‘‘towns’’ are town school systems in operation. Each of these has an counted in census statistics as a separate type of govern- elected school committee to administer the schools but ment, including those towns that have a ‘‘representative their fiscal requirements are determined and provided for town meeting’’ form of government. Massachusetts towns by the respective city and town governments. City and may adopt home-rule charters. town public school systems are classified for census pur- poses as dependent agencies of city or town governments The entire area of the state is encompassed by town gov- and are not counted as separate governments. ernments except for areas located within the boundaries of cities. Other Educational Activities Educational collaboratives in Massachusetts may be PUBLIC SCHOOL SYSTEMS (330) formed by agreement between any two or more public school systems to provide vocational or special education. School District Governments (82) A board of directors appointed by the participating school systems governs each collaborative. The collaboratives Only the following types of school districts in Massachu- may receive contributions from participating public school setts are counted as separate governments for census pur- systems and may accept state and federal grants. As of poses: June 2002, 32 education collaboratives were in operation. Regional school districts In Massachusetts, the superintendency or union school Regional vocational-technical school districts districts (for the joint employment of superintendents) are Independent vocational schools classified as joint educational service agencies of the pub- lic school systems they serve and are not counted as sepa- Each of these types of school districts is created by elec- rate governments. In addition, the following are not tion. The type of governing body is determined at the election creating the district. These districts may issue 2Of the 307 towns in Massachusetts, only 205 towns have bonds and determine their fiscal needs, which are pro- their own school systems. Of the 205 town school systems, 199 vided by the participating towns. As of June 2002, there are currently in operation. Six of the town school systems are were 55 regional school districts, and 30 regional nonoperating, and may tuition out all or some of their students. The remaining 10 towns with no dependent school systems are vocational-technical school districts and independent members of 12-grade district systems and have no school com- vocational schools. mittees. 2 Massachusetts Governments—State Descriptions U.S. Census Bureau counted as separate governments but are classified as Central Massachusetts Economic Development joint activities of the public school systems served: voca- Authority tional school districts (for joint administration of voca- This authority was created by special act to acquire prop- tional education programs) and school districts for the erties in Worcester County contaminated by oil or hazard- employment of guidance and placement directors. ous material for the purpose of reclamation and develop- The junior colleges in Massachusetts may be established ment. The board consists of one member from Worcester by cities or towns and are classified as dependent agen- city and each participating