You asked us to (1)
summarize the procedure municipalities and special districts must follow to
adopt or revise a home rule charter or charter amendments and (2) if the
statutes specify how special districts must draft and adopt bylaws. The Office
of Legislative Research cannot give legal opinions and you should not regard
this memo as one.
SUMMARY
Charters
Towns and special districts
must follow virtually the same statutory process for adopting or amending home
rule charters. This is true even for towns and districts that currently operate
under charters that the legislature enacted on their behalf (i. e. , special act charters). The
legislature enacted these charters before a constitutional amendment banned it
from enacting special laws affecting any single town. As a result, a town that
wants to amend its special act charter must follow the statutory process for
amending home rule charters.