[Amended 11-6-2018]
Commencing with the term beginning on December 1, 2020, there shall be a full-time Town Administrator who shall be elected at the regular Town election for a term of four years and until his successor is elected and qualified. The term of the Town Administrator shall begin on the first day of December next following his election on the first Tuesday of November quadrennially commencing A.D. 2020 and every four years thereafter.
The Town Administrator shall be a legal resident and a qualified elector of the Town of North Smithfield.
The Town Administrator shall receive a minimum salary of $10,000.00 or such other salary as may be prescribed by ordinance, but his salary shall not be changed after the filing of nomination papers for the office or during the term of office for which he was elected.
To perform his duties during his temporary absence or disability, the Town Administrator may designate by letter filed with the Town Clerk, a qualified present administrative officer of the Town. In the event of failure of the Town Administrator to make such designation, the Council may by resolution, appoint a present officer of the Town to perform the duties of the Town Administrator until he shall return or his disability shall cease. While serving as acting Town Administrator, said designated officer shall not make any appointments or removals, other than temporary appointments.
In the event of a vacancy in the Office of Town Administrator, caused by resignation or death, the Town Council shall appoint a legal resident and a qualified elector of the Town to fill such vacancy if less than six calendar months remain until a regular election. If the time between the occurrence of said vacancy and the next regular election is six months or more, the Town Clerk shall call a special election in the manner prescribed by law, to fill said vacancy in the office of Town Administrator.
If the vacancy is caused by disability or absence from work of the Town Administrator, such disability or absence being for at least 60 consecutive days, such vacancy if not created by resignation or death of the Town Administrator, may be declared by the Town Council upon the recommendation by a commission composed of five persons, viz., the Judge of Probate, the Town Clerk, the Town Solicitor, the President of the Town Council, and a fifth member who shall be a physician chosen by the Town Council.
The Town Administrator shall be the chief executive and administrative officer of the Town and shall be responsible for the administration of all departments, offices and agencies except as otherwise provided by this Charter. To accomplish this purpose he shall:
(1) 
Appoint and remove for cause any officer or employee of the Town, except as otherwise provided by this Charter, and except as he may authorize the head of a department or office to appoint and remove subordinates in such departments or office;
(2) 
Notify the Town Council of all his appointments, which shall be in writing and filed with the Town Clerk within five days of the appointments;
(3) 
Supervise, control and direct the activities and operations of all departments and administrative officers of the Town within his jurisdiction and review all rules and regulations of the various departments and administrative officers and only upon his approval shall they become effective;
(4) 
Enforce or cause to be enforced the laws and ordinances of the Town of North Smithfield;
(5) 
See that the terms and conditions imposed in favor of the Town in any contract or franchise are faithfully kept and performed and be responsible for the care and preservation of property and equipment of the Town;
(6) 
Negotiate contracts on behalf of the Town with the approval of the Town Council;
(7) 
Prepare a budget annually, and submit it to the Budget Committee;
(8) 
Prepare and submit to the Town Council a comprehensive annual report of the financial transactions and administrative activities of the Town within 60 days after the close of each fiscal year, and prepare and make available for distribution to the public, within 90 days after the end of each fiscal year, an annual report on Town affairs, and keep the Town Council advised periodically of the financial conditions and needs of the Town and make such recommendations as he may deem necessary;
(9) 
Recommend and introduce to the Town Council such measures as he may consider necessary and expedient for enactment;
(10) 
Possess and exercise the item veto power in the following manner: Every ordinance enacted by the Town Council shall be submitted forthwith to the Town Administrator who within 10 consecutive days either shall approve the ordinance in whole or in part by affixing his signature or shall return the ordinance in whole or in part to the Town Council with his disapproval by transmitting it to the Town Clerk with a statement of his objections. No ordinance shall take effect without the approval of the Town Administrator unless the Town Council upon reconsideration shall approve the ordinance by vote of three-fifths of its members, notwithstanding the disapproval of the Town Administrator. If the Town Administrator shall neither approve or disapprove the measure within 10 consecutive days from the time when it was submitted to him, it shall be deemed to be approved and enacted;
(11) 
Have power and authority to declare a state of municipal emergency in the event of a disaster, catastrophe or other similar event, or the imminent danger thereof, which endangers the health, safety or resources of the people of the Town and to take such lawful action as he deems necessary to protect the health, safety and security of the Town and its people;
(12) 
Be recognized as official head of the Town government for all ceremonial purposes and by the governor for purpose of military law;
(13) 
Perform such other duties as may be required of him by ordinance or resolution of the Town Council.