[Amended 11-2-2010]
There shall be a Town Solicitor and, if necessary,
Assistant Town Solicitors, each of whom shall be appointed by the
Council and shall serve at the pleasure of the Council. Whenever the
position of Town Solicitor becomes vacant, the Council shall solicit
resumes, review the qualifications, conduct interviews and obtain
the appropriate reference checks.
[Amended 11-5-1996]
The Town Solicitor and Assistant Town Solicitors
shall be attorneys at law in good standing, and the Town Solicitor
must have been admitted to the bar four (4) years prior to his/her
appointment. The Assistant Town Solicitors need not have been admitted
that long before their appointments. Neither the Town Solicitor nor
the Assistant Town Solicitors need be residents of the town.
[Amended 11-8-1988; ratified by Town Council 2-10-1992; 11-5-1996; 11-2-2010]
The Town Solicitor shall be the attorney for
the town and legal advisor to the Council, the Town Administrator
and all other departments, officers and agencies of the town. He/she
shall direct the work of the Assistant Town Solicitors. It shall be
the duty of the Town Solicitor to:
A. Appear for and protect the rights of the town in all
actions, suits and proceedings, civil or criminal, in law or equity,
brought by or for or against any of its departments, including the
Board of Canvassers.
B. Examine or prepare all ordinances and resolutions,
and all invitations for bids, contracts and other legal documents
sent out by any department, office or agency of the town.
C. Perform such other duties appropriate to his/her office
as the provisions of this Charter, the Council and/or the Town Administrator
may require.
[Amended 11-2-2010]
All written legal opinions furnished to the
Council, the Town Administrator and all departments, offices and agencies
of the town shall be filed with the Town Clerk and shall become a
public record.
The statement in this Charter of the duties
of the Town Solicitor shall not be deemed to abridge any special powers
and duties now or hereafter conferred upon Town Solicitors by state
law.