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20.184 An Order Amending the Charter to Allow Resident Non-Citizens to Vote in Municipal Elections FINALCity of Northampton MASSACHUSETTS In City Council, January 7, 2021 Upon the recommendation of the Charter Review Committee 20.184 An Order Amending the Charter to Allow Resident Non-Citizens to Vote in Municipal Elections Ordered, that WHEREAS, In accordance with Section 10-6 of the City Charter and Chapter 9 of the Code of Ordinances, in January 2019, the City appointed a Charter Review Committee; and WHEREAS, On December 12, 2019, the Charter Review Committee filed its Final Report with the City Clerk; and WHEREAS, the Charter Review Committee made recommendations for certain changes to the City Charter; and WHEREAS, The City Council wishes to authorize the Mayor to seek special legislation to effectuate the recommended changes. NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT ORDERED Voted, to petition the General Court to the end that legislation be adopted precisely as follows. The General Court may make clerical or editorial changes of form only to the bill, unless the mayor approves amendments to the bill before enactment by the General Court. The mayor is hereby authorized to approve amendments which shall be within the scope of the general public objectives of this petition. AN ACT AMENDING THE SPECIAL ACT CHARTER OF THE CITY OF NORTHAMPTON TO ALLOW RESIDENT NON-CITIZENS TO VOTE IN PRELIMINARY AND CITY ELECTIONS Whereas, The deferred operation of this act would tend to defeat its purposes, which is to improve the governance of the city of Northampton, therefore it is hereby declared to be an emergency law, necessary for the immediate preservation of the public convenience. Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives in General Court assembled, and by the Authority of the same, as follows: Chapter 277 of the Acts of 2012, shall be amended as follows: SECTION 1. Amend article 8 by inserting as article 8-6 the following: “QUALIFICATION FOR VOTING. Every resident of the city or, in the case of an election for ward councilor or ward school committee member, every resident of the ward, whether a citizen or noncitizen, who is not otherwise disqualified from voting under state law, shall be qualified to vote in all preliminary elections, special elections and regular city elections.”, and by renumbering article 8-6 to 8-7 and article 8-7 to 8-8.