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Charter review panel recommends limiting Town Manager hiring authority for school and library staff
Summary
The Charter and Bylaw Review Committee voted to recommend a revision to Section 5.1b that narrows Town Manager hiring/supervision authority to exclude school and library staff; the committee also asked the Select Board to refine the wording and the Board of Health sought clearer definitions before Town Meeting.
The Charter and Bylaw Review Committee voted Jan. 21 to recommend a change to Charter Section 5.1b that would limit the Town Manager’s authority over hiring, firing and supervision for school and library staff.
The recommendation, advanced in a motion by committee member Chris Gittens and seconded by Lucille Wilson, follows requests from library trustees and the Board of Health for clearer definitions of what constitutes "hiring, firing and supervision." The committee recorded statements from library representatives that they view those authorities as "substantive power," and from the Board of Health asking for language stronger than the current phrase "consult."
Library Trustee Emily Prince told the committee that the trustees "view hiring, firing, and supervision of employees as a substantive power." She added that "MGL 70B is more of a policy decision," and that trustees "are not experts in HR and expect to collaborate with the Town Manager and HR." Board of Health member Maureen Richicho said the Board wants precise definitions and suggested pausing final approval until after Town Meeting to allow broader discussion.
Town Manager Matt Hanson said he opposes a requirement for joint approval because, as he told the committee, a board could potentially outvote the Town Manager on hiring decisions. The committee noted the Town Manager already performs HR functions for most town employees and that the school department maintains its own HR office.
Committee members reviewed three possible approaches: keep the charter wording as is; explicitly permit the Town Manager to hire, terminate and supervise town employees in consultation with appointing boards; or adopt the second approach but exclude school and library staff. The committee moved to endorse the exclusion option and recorded members’ individual positions; the minutes show a tally recorded as "4 in favor of option 3." The committee also recommended that the Select Board perform final "word‑smithing" of the proposed language.
The committee invited further input from the Board of Health (which had no formal position at the meeting) and noted that Paul Mortenson and Matt Hanson would attend the BOH’s next meeting to continue discussions.
What happens next: the committee’s recommendation will go to the Select Board, which is expected to refine the language and place the proposed charter change on the Town Meeting warrant as a separate article for voter consideration.
