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Select Board debates Town Manager Act revisions; agrees to keep appointing authority while allowing delegation and to separate recall as a home‑rule petition
Summary
After lengthy deliberation the Select Board kept itself as the formal appointing authority for the Town Accountant but agreed to explicit language allowing delegation of that appointment to the Town Manager; the board removed a strict residency requirement for the Town Manager and clarified termination language to preserve 'for cause' discretion.
The Select Board spent substantial time reviewing proposed revisions to the Town Manager Act prepared by a review committee and legal staff. The board wrestled with appointment authority, reporting lines, personnel protections and the process to handle recalls, ultimately agreeing to several compromises and to treat recall provisions separately as a home‑rule petition.
Key outcomes and points of debate
Appointment of Town Accountant. The review committee recommended making the Town Manager the appointing authority for the town accountant. Town counsel Kate Connolly noted that Massachusetts General Laws authorize the Select Board to appoint a town accountant under G.L. c.41 §55, but that delegation to the town manager is common practice in many towns. After discussion the board agreed to preserve the Select Board as the appointing authority in the charter text while adding explicit language that would allow the Select Board to delegate…
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