(a) 
The council shall appoint for an indefinite term a town manager, who shall be the chief executive officer of the town, who shall serve at the pleasure of the council, and who shall be chosen exclusively on the basis of his or her executive and administrative qualifications, character, education, training and experience. At the time of his or her appointment, said manager need not be a resident of the town of West Hartford or of the State of Connecticut. The town manager shall work full time to discharge the duties of the office, and during his or her term of office, shall reside in said town. The compensation of the town manager shall be fixed by the council and shall not be decreased except at the beginning of a fiscal year of the town by a vote of the council taken at least fifteen days prior to that date.
(b) 
The manager may be removed by a two-thirds vote of the entire membership of the council as herein provided. At least thirty days before the proposed removal of the manager, the council shall adopt a resolution stating its intention to remove him or her and the reasons therefor, a copy of which shall be served forthwith on the manager who may, within ten days, demand a public hearing, in which event the manager shall not be removed until such public hearing has been held. Upon the passage of such a resolution the council may suspend said manager from duty, provided the salary of said manager shall continue until his or her removal from office; and in the event of such removal, or in the event of the resignation of the manager, he or she shall be given termination pay equivalent to one month's salary, and may be given such additional termination pay as the council shall by resolution determine. Upon any such suspension the council may appoint a temporary manager to serve at the pleasure of the council for not more than ninety days. The action of the council in removing the manager shall be final.
The town manager shall be directly responsible to the council for the administration of all departments, agencies and offices in charge of persons or boards appointed by him or her, and shall supervise and direct the same. The town manager shall see that all laws and ordinances governing the town are faithfully executed; may recommend to the council the creation, consolidation and abolition of administrative departments and offices; shall make periodic reports to the council and shall attend its meetings with full right of participation in its discussions but without a right to vote; shall prepare and cause to be printed, as soon as possible after the close of the fiscal year, an annual town report; shall recommend to the council such measures as he or she may deem necessary or expedient; shall keep the council fully advised as to the financial condition of the town; and shall have prepared financial reports for such periods as may be required by the council; shall prepare and submit to the council an annual budget; and shall exercise such other powers and perform such other duties as may be required of him or her by ordinance or resolution of the council not inconsistent with this charter. Unless otherwise provided in this charter or in the general statutes, any administrative power of appointment to be exercised by a first selectman shall be exercised by the town manager. The council shall not diminish by ordinance, vote or otherwise, the powers and duties of the manager, except those powers and duties imposed on him or her by the council under the provisions of this section.
The manager shall appoint all department heads and other officers of the town except as otherwise specifically provided by this charter and except employees in the offices of elected officers or boards, and officers and boards appointed by the council. In lieu of any appointment by the manager or any of his or her appointees to any office under his or her jurisdiction the manager may, subject to the approval of the council, perform the duties of any office under his or her jurisdiction except those of the town treasurer; provided, in case the town treasurer is absent or unable to act, the manager may sign checks in accordance with the provisions of Chapter VII, Section 8, of this charter.
To perform his or her duties during his or her temporary absence or disability, the town manager may designate, by a letter filed with the council clerk and the town clerk, a qualified administrative officer of the town to serve as acting manager during the temporary absence or disability of said town manager. If the manager fails to make such designation, the council may by resolution appoint an administrative officer of the town to perform the duties of the manager until he or she returns or his or her disability ceases. If the manager shall be absent from his or her duties for a period of more than twenty-one consecutive days, the council shall appoint an acting manager. If the manager dies, is removed, retires, or resigns, the council may appoint an acting manager to serve until a manager is appointed.