Saugus may become the latest Bay State community to adopt a city form of government while refusing to call itself a city. (See Franklin, Watertown, and at least nine other burgs with Peter Pan syndrome.) From the Daily Item:

It is only a technical title in the eyes of the state but if residents vote to accept the Charter Commission’s proposed changes it will view the town as a city.

Charter Commission Chairman Peter Manoogian didn’t deny that the term city would play into the lingo of the changes, but he said it is for adopting legislative purposes only.

“It doesn’t necessarily mean we are a city,” he said. “It doesn’t change what we call ourselves, it doesn’t change who we are.”

In the eyes of the state, a community with a legislative body that can call itself into session (as opposed to waiting for authorization from a town meeting) has a city form of goverment. The Boston Globe has more on the proposed changes in Saugus here. (Photo of town watering hole by Mark Sardella.)