Portion of the City Charter of Lawrence dealing with appointments and removals

3.7 Appointments to City Offices. Removal.

(a) Appointments. The mayor shall submit to the city council, unless otherwise provided, the names of all persons he desires to appoint as a department head or director of any city agency. The city council shall refer all such candidates to the standing committee on personnel and administration which shall investigate all such candidates for confirmation and make a report with recommendations to the full city council not less than seven nor more than twenty-one days following such referral. A nomination of the mayor shall be confirmed by a majority vote of the council. The provision of Section 3.8(c) shall not apply. If the city council has taken no action, said appointments shall become effective on the thirtieth day following the date the name has been received by the city council.

(b) Removal from Office. The mayor may remove any person appointed under Section 3.7 by filing a written statement with the city council, setting forth the reason or reasons therefor a copy of which shall be delivered to the person whose removal is sought who may make a written replay, which if (s)he desires may be filed with the city council and be a public record. The city council shall forthwith consider said removal. The removal of said person shall be sustained by a 2/3 majority vote of the council. The provision of Section 3.8(e) shall not apply.

4.3 Appointments by the Mayor.

The mayor shall appoint at all city officers, department heads, directors and members of multiple member bodies for whom no other method of appointment or selection is provided by the charter, excepting only officers serving under the school committee, officers appointed by the Commonwealth, and persons serving under the City Council. Except appointments to multiple member bodies all such appointments made by the mayor, unless otherwise provided shall be subject to review and confirmation by the city council as provided in Section 3.7.

4.4 Certificate of Appointment.

Whenever a vacancy, either temporary or permanent occurs in a city office and the needs of the city require that such office be filled, the mayor may designate the head of another city agency, or a city officer or city employee to perform the duties of the office on a temporary basis until such position can be filled as provided by the charter, by law, or by ordinance. The mayor shall sign and file with the city clerk a certificate substantially in the following form:

I name (name of appointee) to perform the duties of the office of (office in which vacancy exists). I certify that (name of appointee) is a person especially fitted by education, training or experience to perform the duties of the office and to assume the responsibilities which will devolve upon him/her, and that I make this appointment solely in the interests of the City of Lawrence.

(signed)

Mayor