§ 301. Appointed officers
(a) Town Manager. The Town Manager shall be the chief executive officer of the Town appointed by a majority
of the Selectboard. The Town Manager shall be selected with special reference to training,
experience, education, and ability to perform the executive and administrative duties
of the Manager’s office and without reference to his or her political position or
persuasion. The Town Manager shall be responsible to the Selectboard for the proper
and efficient administration of departments under the Manager’s charge as outlined
in this charter.
(1) The Town Manager shall be appointed for a period not to exceed three years and may
thereafter be appointed for successive terms of not more than three years. The Town
Manager shall not simultaneously hold any elective office within the Town nor be employed
by the Town in any capacity except as specified in this charter.
(2) The Town Manager need not be a resident of the Town.
(3) Conditions of employment and compensation shall be determined at the time of appointment,
and there shall be an annual review of performance and compensation by the Selectboard.
(4) Before entering into the duties of office, the Manager shall be sworn to the impartial
and faithful performance thereof with a certificate to that effect to be filed with
the Town Clerk.
(5) Removal.
(A) On 90 days’ written notice, the Manager may be removed without cause by a majority
of the Selectboard so voting at a meeting called for the purpose of voting on removal.
During the 90-day period, the Manager may be suspended with pay.
(B) The Selectboard may adopt a resolution stating its intention to remove the Manager
and reasons therefore, a copy of which shall be sent to the Manager. The Manager may,
within 10 days after notice is sent, request a hearing that shall be held by the Selectboard
not less than 10 days nor more than 20 days from the date of the request, after which
the Selectboard may dismiss the Manager. If no request for a hearing is filed, the
Selectboard may dismiss the Manager immediately. During the period after the resolution
of intention is adopted and until the Manager’s dismissal, he or she may be suspended
with pay.
(C) Termination of benefits will be determined by the Selectboard in conjunction with
legal counsel.
(b) Acting Town Manager.
(1) In the event the Town Manager shall be absent from Town for a period of up to two
consecutive weeks, he or she may designate an Acting Manager with Selectboard approval
who shall exercise the duties of the Manager. The Town Manager may overrule the actions
of the Acting Manager.
(2) In the event the Manager is unable to discharge his or her duties or in the event
the Manager is suspended or placed on administrative leave, the Selectboard shall
appoint an Acting Manager to serve until the Manager is able to assume regular duties
or a new Manager is appointed. The Acting Manager appointed to fill a declared vacancy
in the office shall have all powers and perform all duties of the Manager. An Acting
Manager shall be reviewed within 180 days.
(3) In no case shall a serving Selectboard member act as the Acting Town Manager.
(c) Collector of Delinquent Taxes. These duties shall be assumed by the Town Manager or the Town Manager’s designee.
(d) Assistant Town Treasurer. The Town Treasurer may appoint an Assistant Town Treasurer who may be delegated some
or all of the powers of the Town Treasurer on a temporary basis by the Town Treasurer
upon notice to the Town Manager and the School Superintendent. The Assistant Town
Treasurer shall be compensated at the same rate as the Town Treasurer when exercising
the powers of the Town Treasurer. In the event the office of Town Treasurer becomes
vacant, the Assistant Town Treasurer shall become the Town Treasurer for the remainder
of the Town Treasurer’s term of office. (Added 2009, No. M-5, § 2, eff. April 29, 2009; amended 2011, No. M-16 (Adj. Sess.), § 2, eff. May 7, 2012; 2023, No. M-26 (Adj. Sess.), § 2, eff. May 29, 2024.)