Selectmen tell charter panel town‑manager system works but needs clearer role, finance safeguards

Selectwoman Diane Geisley, a member of the Board of Selectmen, told the Charter Revision Commission on March 5 that “it is a form of government that works for our town,” but added the town’s charter needs clearer language to limit role confusion between elected officials and the town manager.

The issue matters because commissioners, selectmen and staff said unclear lines have created recurring frictions over contract negotiations, department oversight and budget transfers — and prompted calls to preserve an independent finance board as a fiscal safeguard.

At the meeting, Geisley described the intended split of responsibility under a town‑manager system: elected officials set policy while the town manager administers operations. She said the charter now leaves “a little fuzzy” where policy stops and administration begins, and asked the commission to consider language that would make the boundary clearer. Selectman Steven and other members expanded on practical examples: who negotiates union contracts, who sets minimum/maximum parameters for negotiations, and how and when the board should receive advance guidance.

Town staff described recent organizational changes that commissioners said have contributed to the confusion. Participants said an HR director position was created in last year’s budget and that some departments (IT, social services and the town clerk’s office) have been designated as primary reporting lines to the deputy town manager for day‑to‑day matters. Deputy Town Manager Tom Fitzgerald told the meeting those departments “go to Tom for… acting as the town manager of them,” and that the town manager remains the ultimate appointing authority. Commissioners said those reassignments were not always communicated in a transparent org chart.

Several members urged the commission to protect the role of the Board of Finance in the charter. One participant summarized the argument: while the town manager provides continuity, “a board of finance is extremely important for us to have” because it offers ongoing forecasting and oversight beyond the periodic actions of elected boards.

Commissioners also discussed internal checks such as personnel subcommittees and regular town‑manager reviews. Selectmen said they are actively developing a town‑manager performance review and have conducted executive‑session work on that topic; they asked the commission to avoid embedding the granular mechanics of a performance review into the charter, suggesting instead that the charter require a review process and leave the details to the board.

The commission did not vote on a charter change at the meeting. Members asked for written clarification of recent reporting changes and for copies of the town manager’s and deputy town manager’s current job descriptions and org chart. Commissioners said they will use those materials to decide whether proposed clarifying language belongs in the charter or is better resolved by board policy and administrative practice.

Looking ahead, the commission said it will gather the requested staff documents and return to the topic at a future meeting.