Counties in Massachusetts
There are 14 counties in Massachusetts. Governments for nine of those counties have been abolished and administrative responsibilities have been transitioned to the state, leaving 5 active county-level governments.[1]
Types of local government
Local government in Massachusetts consists of:
- 53 city governments.
- 298 town governments.
- 5 county governments.
- In addition, there are 412 special districts and 84 independent school districts.[2]
Further classification of cities and towns:
Cities and towns in Massachusetts may be:
- Home rule charter, of which there are 90, as of 2008
- Special act charter, of which there are approximately 60
- General law, of which there are approximately 201.[3][4]
Initiative process availability
The local units of government in Massachusetts that make the initiative process available are:
- General law cities operating under government types A,B,C,D,E, and F as specified in Chapter 43 of Mass. General Laws have a state specified initiative and referendum process for ordinances. There are 25 such cities.
- Home rule charter cities and towns have a state mandated initiative process for charter amendments. There are 90 such municipalities.
- Charter counties have a state mandated initiative and referendum process. However, no county has yet become a charter county under the statutes mandating initiative and referendum. One county, Barnstable, has a charter that was a special act of the legislature and is not subject to the amendment process provided in state statutes. However, its charter provides a process for initiative and referendum for charter amendment.[4]
County website evaluations
Counties without websites
As of February 2009, 10 of Massachusetts 's 14 counties had no website.
Counties
| County | County seat |
| Barnstable County, Massachusetts | Barnstable, Massachusetts |
| Berkshire County, Massachusetts | Pittsfield, Massachusetts |
| Bristol County, Massachusetts | Taunton, Massachusetts |
| Dukes County, Massachusetts | Edgartown, Massachusetts |
| Essex County, Massachusetts | Salem, Massachusetts and Lawrence, Massachusetts |
| Franklin County, Massachusetts | Greenfield, Massachusetts |
| Hampden County, Massachusetts | Springfield, Massachusetts |
| Hampshire County, Massachusetts | Northampton, Massachusetts |
| Middlesex County, Massachusetts | Cambridge, Massachusetts and Lowell, Massachusetts |
| Nantucket County, Massachusetts | Nantucket, Massachusetts |
| Norfolk County, Massachusetts | Dedham, Massachusetts |
| Plymouth County, Massachusetts | Plymouth, Massachusetts and Brockton, Massachusetts |
| Suffolk County, Massachusetts | Boston, Massachusetts |
| Worcester County, Massachusetts | Worcester, Massachusetts |
Footnotes
- ↑ Secretary of the Commonwealth of Massachusetts Website, "County Government," accessed September 11, 2013
- ↑ The U.S. Census Bureau's 2012 study of local governments
- ↑ Cite error: Invalid
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