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Motion to extend Fire Chief John Santorelli’s term fails on Allenstown Board
Summary
A motion to add two years to Fire Chief John Santorelli’s existing one‑year term (making it a three‑year term) failed on a roll call vote after board members raised concerns about insufficient justification and absence of a workload analysis.
A motion to extend Fire Chief John Santorelli’s one‑year appointment by two additional years — changing it to a three‑year term — failed at the Allenstown Board of Selectmen meeting on Monday.
A board member who said they had erred in a prior vote introduced the motion, arguing the town should treat the chief’s appointment consistently with past practice of three‑year terms. The motion was seconded and put to a roll call vote.
Several board members opposed the change, stating there had not been adequate justification or a workload analysis to support moving the position from a one‑year to a multi‑year appointment. One committee member suggested keeping the current one‑year appointment and evaluating the chief after that period before adding additional years.
Transcript roll‑call entries show Diane voting in favor, Trish voting no, Chris voting in favor, Kathleen voting no; a vote from John Charles is recorded in the roll call sequence but the transcript does not clearly record an explicit yes/no response for that name. The meeting recorded the motion as failed.
Why it matters: The length of the fire chief’s appointment affects management continuity and expectations for performance evaluation. Board members who opposed the extension said procedural fairness and evidence of workload changes should guide any change to appointment length.
What’s next: With the motion defeated, the chief remains on the one‑year appointment as previously recorded. The board did not adopt any amendment or direct staff to prepare additional analysis during this meeting.
