On March 12, 1956, the Selectmen-Manager form of government became effective in the Town of Concord. This was the result of a special act passed by the General Court in 1952*, which act was accepted by the Town of Concord at the Annual Town Election of 1955.

Although adopted in 1956, the Charter falls under the 1966 Home Rule Amendment (Article 89) of the Massachusetts State Constitution. This was made certain by a letter from the Commonwealth's Attorney General to the Concord Town Counsel, dated June 29, 1972. Amendments to the Charter may therefore be made according to the procedures defined by the Home Rule Amendment in its Section 9.

The Charter was amended by a special act passed by the General Court in 1973 ("An Act Providing for the Election of Persons to Fill Vacancies in the Membership of the Select Board of the Town of Concord") upon petition by the Town voted at the Town Meeting in October 1972.

It has also been amended by referendum vote. A list of these amendments is provided at the end of the charter document. They are referenced by number in the Charter text.

The document as a whole will be referred to as the "Selectmen-Manager Charter," or simply as the "Charter."

Note: *Passed by the General Court in 1952 (Acts 1952, Chapter 280); Accepted by the Town of Concord at Town Election, March 7, 1955; Effective 11:58 p.m., March 12, 1956.