Candia selectmen discuss two staff resignations and exploring municipal retirement benefit

The Candia Board of Selectmen discussed staff turnover and the possibility of adopting the New Hampshire retirement plan for full‑time municipal employees after two recent resignations.

What happened: Town Administrator Andrea Hanson resigned and left on Jan. 23; she is providing limited interim assistance to close out the town report and the deliberative session, selectmen said. Finance Coordinator Kim Hughes also resigned, with Feb. 5 listed as her last day; the board said Hughes stepped down because of personal illness.

Why it matters: board members said small towns compete for employees with neighboring towns that offer retirement benefits and other recruitment incentives. The board discussed the New Hampshire retirement plan (as used in nearby Brentwood) and noted it applies to covered full‑time municipal employees but not elected officials or volunteers.

Next steps: Selectmen asked staff to investigate whether the town could add the retirement benefit and to evaluate costs for inclusion in a future budget. The board said the change could not be implemented in the 2025 budget cycle because it was too late to add it, but directed staff to develop a proposal for consideration this year to aid employee retention.

Ending: The board noted some interim coverage for financial and administrative tasks is in place (part‑time help and existing staff assistance), and said it will solicit resumes and prepare a recommendation on retirement plan feasibility for a future meeting.