§ 24-a. Terms of office of elective officers. 1. Notwithstanding the
provisions of section twenty-four of this chapter or any other general
law, and at least one hundred fifty days prior to any biennial town
election, the town board of any town may adopt a resolution to provide
that the term of office of each and any elective town official
thereafter elected shall be four years, and such resolution shall be
submitted to the qualified electors of the town for their approval or
disapproval at the next biennial town election. No such resolution shall
become effective until approved by the affirmative vote of the majority
of the qualified electors of the town voting on such proposition. The
submission of such proposition shall be as provided in article seven of
this chapter for a referendum thereunder in like manner as if a petition
therefor had been filed in accordance with the provisions of this
chapter, except that such proposition shall be submitted only at a
biennial town election as hereinbefore provided. If the town board shall
have adopted such a resolution and if a majority of the votes cast on
any such proposition when submitted as herein provided shall be in the
affirmative, the terms of office of those town officers included in such
proposition and thereafter elected shall be for a period of four years.

2. In those towns where the term of office of elected officials has
been set at four years pursuant to subdivision one of this section, and
at least one hundred fifty days prior to any biennial town election, the
town board may adopt a resolution to provide that the term of office of
each and any elective town official, whose term of office was changed to
four years as provided in subdivision one of this section, thereafter
elected shall be two years, and such resolution shall be submitted to
the qualified electors of the town for their approval or disapproval at
the next biennial town election. No such resolution shall become
effective until approved by the affirmative vote of the majority of the
qualified electors of the town voting on such proposition. The
submission of such proposition shall be as provided in article seven of
this chapter for a referendum thereunder in like manner as if a petition
therefor had been filed in accordance with the provisions of this
chapter, except that such proposition shall be submitted only at a
biennial town election as hereinbefore provided. If the town board shall
have adopted such a resolution and if a majority of the votes cast on
any such proposition when submitted as herein provided shall be in the
affirmative, the terms of office of those town officers included in such
proposition and thereafter elected shall be for a period of two years.