The chief administrative officer of the Town shall be the Town
Administrator (hereinafter called the "Administrator"). The Administrator
shall be appointed by the Town Council upon the affirmative vote of
at least five members of the Council. The Administrator shall hold
office at the pleasure of the Town Council. The Town Council shall
fix the Administrator's salary and terms of employment.
[Amended 3-14-1995; 3-12-2013]
The Administrator shall be appointed solely on the basis of
qualifications for the office, with special reference to education,
training and previous experience in public or private office. The
Administrator need not be a resident of the Town or of the State of
New Hampshire unless contractually obligated. The Administrator shall
devote full time to the office and shall not hold any other public
office, elective or appointive, except as authorized by this Charter,
nor engage in any other business or occupation unless with the approval
of the majority of the Town Council.
During the budgetary process following the first anniversary
of the Administrator's service to the Town and during each subsequent
budgetary process, the Town Council shall conduct an evaluation of
the Administrator's performance in office. After such evaluation,
the Town Council shall determine whether the Administrator's
overall performance in office has been satisfactory or unsatisfactory.
The Town Council shall also establish the Administrator's compensation
for the ensuing year.
The Town Council shall act in all matters as a body. Members
of the Council shall not seek individually to influence the official
acts of the Town Administrator or any other officers; or to direct
or request, except in writing, the appointment of any person to, or
removal from, office; or to interfere in any way with the performance
by such officers of their duties. Any member of the Town Council violating
the provisions of this section, as determined through procedures established
in this Charter, shall forfeit the office.
The Town shall have departments, divisions, boards or committees
as may be established by this Charter or as the Town Council may establish
by ordinance. It shall be the duty of the Administrator to draft and
to submit to the Town Council, within nine months after assuming office,
an ordinance consistent with this Charter to be titled as the "Administrative
Code" which provides for the division of the administrative service
of the Town into departments or agencies and defines the functions
and duties of each. The ordinance shall include, subject to any collective
bargaining agreements that may be agreed upon, provisions for a merit
plan to ensure that all appointments and promotions in the service
of the Town shall be made solely on the basis of merit and only after
appropriate examination or review of the applicants' relative
knowledge, skills, abilities and experience and provisions governing
discipline and dismissal of personnel. Subsequent to the adoption
of such ordinance, upon recommendation of the Administrator, the Town
Council by ordinance may amend it to create, consolidate or abolish
departments, agencies or other divisions of the Town, define the functions
and duties of each, or otherwise amend it. The chief officer of each
department shall have supervision and control of such department and
shall have the power to prescribe rules and regulations for the conduct
of such department, not inconsistent with general law, this Charter,
the Administrative Code, and the provisions of the merit plan. Prior
to adoption of the Administrative Code, the Administrator shall have
the power to establish temporary rules and regulations to ensure economy
and efficiency in the several divisions of Town government.
There shall be a Town Clerk, elected for a term of three years.
The Town Clerk shall have such authority and perform such duties as
provided by state law. Vacancy in the office of Town Clerk shall be
filled in accordance with state law.