To authorize the mayor of the city of Haverhill to submit special legislation to increase the membership of the board of health from three members to five members
Summary
This bill is a local act for the city of Haverhill that authorizes the city to increase the membership of its board of health from three members to five members. It is framed as special legislation and is accompanied by local approval from the mayor and city council. The bill also specifies that the additional members would be appointed by the mayor with city council approval.
The measure sets out a transition schedule for the expanded board. In the first January after the act takes effect, the mayor would appoint one new member to a three-year term and a second new member to a two-year term, both beginning the first Monday of the following February. After that initial staggering, successor appointments would be for three-year terms. The bill takes effect upon passage and allows only clerical or editorial changes unless the mayor approves broader amendments within the bill’s stated public objectives.
Impact
The bill would create an exception to section 26 of chapter 111 of the Massachusetts General Laws for Haverhill, allowing the city to expand its board of health from three to five members. It would not change statewide board-of-health rules generally, but would permit Haverhill to alter its local governance structure through special legislation. The practical effect would be to broaden the city’s public health oversight body and shift appointment authority to the mayor with city council approval.
Sentiment
The available context suggests the bill is noncontroversial and locally supported. It was filed with approval from both the mayor and city council, and there is no recorded committee transcript or vote history indicating opposition or debate. The absence of recorded dissent, combined with the bill’s narrow local scope, suggests a generally favorable or at least routine reception.
Contention
There is little evidence of substantive contention in the available materials. The only potentially notable issue is the change in governance structure itself: increasing the board from three to five members and centralizing appointments in the mayor with council approval. Any concern would likely come from those interested in local control, board composition, or the policy rationale for expanding the board, but no specific objections are documented in the provided record.