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Merrimack council votes to forward two charter amendments — ethics committee removal and splitting town clerk/tax collector
Summary
The Merrimack Town Council unanimously voted Dec. 18 to send two charter amendments to state review: to eliminate the municipal ethics committee and to split the combined town clerk/tax collector into two positions. Both moves will go to voters if the state clears them.
The Merrimack Town Council voted unanimously Dec. 18 to forward two proposed charter amendments to the Secretary of State and state agencies for review: one to eliminate the municipal ethics committee and another to split the combined town clerk and tax collector position into separate offices.
Town Manager Paul Sharp presented the clerk/tax collector proposal, citing rising workloads and operational differences. "Why are we bringing the change forward? Because of the timing," Paul Sharp said, explaining the change would not take effect until May 2027, allowing staff time to separate duties and avoid a special election. He noted that splitting the positions would require secure space for ballots and could shift some duties — municipal agent, motor-vehicle registration and tax collecting — to the full-time tax collector while the town clerk would handle voter registration, vital records and licensing.
On the ethics committee amendment, councilors and staff described low participation and an extended lapse in quorum: council discussion noted the municipal ethics committee had not had a quorum since 2017 and received very few complaints in recent years. Councilors discussed options for adjudicating complaints against council members if the committee were removed, including bringing in outside independent reviewers or using lawyers on call.
Both motions passed by voice vote, recorded as 7-0-0. Chair opened each item as a public hearing, heard no members of the public at the microphones, then closed the hearings before council action.
What happens next: If the state agencies find the charter language allowable, the council may hold another public hearing and the amendments would go on a future warrant for registered Merrimack voters to approve or reject. The clerk/tax-collector split requires statutory review under RSA 49-B:5; the ethics committee removal also was advanced citing the same RSA authority.
The council's votes do not themselves change practice; they move the proposals into the formal state review and warrant process.
