This Charter shall take effect July 1, 2006. Prior to that date,
the Selectmen shall prepare for the transition to the new form of
government.
Those Selectmen whose terms have not expired as of June 30,
2006, shall continue in office as Councilors until the expiration
of their terms and until their successors are elected and certified.
The persons holding the following offices as of June 30, 2006,
shall continue in those offices until the expiration of their terms
and their successors are elected and certified: Moderator, Treasurer,
Town Clerk/Tax Collector, Supervisors of the Checklist, Library Trustees,
Trustees of the Trust Fund, and members of the Ethics Committee.
The Town shall conduct a special election on the second Tuesday
of June 2006 to elect Town Councilors for the following terms: one
for a term to run from July 1, 2006, to the regular Town election
in April 2008 and one for a term to run from July 1, 2006, to the
regular Town election in April 2009. Both shall serve until their
successors are elected and certified as provided in § 3-7
of this Charter.
All election officers holding office prior to and at the time
of the special election held under this Charter shall conduct such
election and shall have all the powers granted to them under New Hampshire
state law for such purposes and shall have all the powers that are
granted to their successors under this Charter which are necessary
to conduct properly such election.
The following Town agencies shall be abolished effective on
the dates listed herein:
All members of the Town government, elected or appointed, except
those abolished by this Charter, shall continue to perform their duties
until the expiration of their current term and until successors to
their respective positions are duly appointed, elected and certified
or their duties have been transferred. The Board of Selectmen and
the successor Town Council shall take whatever measures are necessary
to effectuate an orderly transition and shall take whatever actions
are necessary to enable such transitions in office to comply with
the provisions of this Charter.
The Administrative Code, in effect on the date of the adoption of this Charter, shall remain in effect until such time as the Town Council shall adopt a proposed Administrative Code as defined by the process in § 7-10.
Until expressly changed after the effective date of this Charter,
the compensation of all officers, department heads, and employees
of the Town shall be the same as that in effect on July 1, 2006.
Any person holding an office or position in the administrative
service of the Town, or any person serving in the employment of the
Town, shall retain such office or position and shall continue to perform
their duties until provisions shall have been made in accordance with
the Charter for the performance of the said duties by another person
or agency as long as the service rendered is suitable; provided, however,
that no person in the service or employment of the Town shall forfeit
their pay grade or time in service. All such persons shall be retained
in a capacity as similar to their former capacity as is practical.
Removal of personnel for such issues as inefficiency, poor performance,
violation of policies and procedures, or other disciplinary reasons,
in effect at the time of the adoption of this Charter, shall not be
prohibited, provided that the continued or interim policies and/or
contracts are followed.
All records, property, and equipment of any Town agency, the
powers and duties of which are assigned in whole or part to another
Town agency, shall be transferred forthwith to the Town agency to
which such powers and duties are assigned.
All official bonds, recognizance, obligations, contracts, and
other instruments entered into or executed by or to the Town before
its adoption of this Charter and all taxes, special assessments, fines,
penalties, and forfeitures incurred or imposed, due or owing to the
Town shall be enforced and collected; all writs, prosecutions, actions,
and causes of action, except as herein otherwise provided, shall continue
without abatement and remain unaffected by the Charter; and no legal
act done by or in favor of the Town shall be rendered invalid by the
adoption of the Charter.
To the extent that there is any conflict between the Charter
and any continued code, ordinance, policy or procedure, the Charter
shall prevail.
