Harrington v. Board of Selectmen of Tisbury

At its 1973 annual town meeting, the town of Tisbury (town) adopted a by-law which purported to bar any selectman elected after December 31, 1973, from holding any other elective town office. The by-law, which is set forth in full in the margin, 1 provides that, if any such selectman holds another elective town office, that other office shall become vacant on his becoming a selectman. In 1973, one of the three defendant selectmen, Manuel M. Maciel, was elected to a three-year term as a water commissioner. He stood successfully for election to the board of selectmen in 1974. The plaintiffs,…