MA H5053

Establishes an Open Town Meeting-Select Board-Town Manager form of government for Orange, Massachusetts, with a 5-member elected Select Board serving 3-year terms and an appointed Town Manager as Chief Administrative Officer

Requires a minimum quorum of 75 registered voters for Town Meeting, with the Annual Town Meeting held on the second Monday of May; 10 registered voters can petition to add warrant articles for annual meetings, 100 for special meetings

Town Manager must hold at least a bachelor's degree or have 3 years of executive experience, requires 4 of 5 Select Board votes for appointment or removal, and oversees Finance/Administration, Public Safety, and Public Services divisions

Creates a 7-member Finance Committee and 5-member Capital Program Committee to review proposed budgets and capital projects over $25,000 with useful life of at least 3 years; school committees must submit budgets by February 1

Provides recall mechanism for elected officials requiring 150 voters to initiate and 10% of registered voters to sign petitions, with recall elections held 60-120 days after certification of sufficient signatures