2016 Massachusetts General Laws
PART I ADMINISTRATION OF THE GOVERNMENT
TITLE VII CITIES, TOWNS AND DISTRICTS
Chapter 44 MUNICIPAL FINANCE
Section 35 Towns and districts; right to petition for an audit or installation of accounting system

[ Text of section effective until November 7, 2016. For text effective November 7, 2016, see below.]

  Section 35. Any town, and any district, or regional school district, at a meeting legally called therefor, may petition the director for an audit of its accounts or for the installation of an accounting system; and said director, as soon as possible after the receipt of such petition, shall cause such audit to be made or system of accounts to be installed. Any town or district, at a meeting legally called therefor, after such accounting system has been installed, may petition for subsequent audits, or may provide in its by-laws for periodical audits under the supervision of said director, who shall cause such audits to be made. The selectmen, the prudential committee, if any, otherwise the commissioners, or the regional district school committee, may petition said director for an audit of the town or district accounts, as the case may be, when, in their opinion, the condition of the accounts is such as to warrant the making of such audit, and said director, as soon as possible after the receipt of such petition, shall cause such audit to be made.

Chapter 44: Section 35. Audits of accounts; when conducted; governmental units to be considered districts; copy to be sent to chief executive officer; costs

[ Text of section as amended by 2016, 218, Sec. 77 effective November 7, 2016. For text effective until November 7, 2016, see above.]

  Section 35. Cities, towns, districts, and regional school districts shall conduct periodic audits of their accounts, according to any standards established by the director under section 38, and shall engage for that purpose a professional auditing firm or other independent accountant as may be necessary or appropriate. The chief executive officer of a city or town, the prudential committee, if any, otherwise the commissioners, of a district, or the regional district school committee may also cause an audit to be performed when, in their opinion, the condition of the accounts is such as to warrant the making of such audit necessary and useful.

  Notwithstanding any general or special law that provides for the director to cause an annual or other periodic audit of a regional or other governmental unit created within 1 or more cities or towns of the commonwealth to provide public services or conveniences, such governmental unit shall be considered a district for purposes of conducting a periodic audit under this section and sections 38, 39, 40, 41 and 42. Upon the completion of each audit, a copy shall be sent to the chief executive officer of each city or town which is a member of the governmental unit. The cost of each audit shall be a current expense of the governmental unit and shall be apportioned among the several cities and towns that are members of the unit in the same manner as other such expenses.