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Gilmanton trustees hold work session; no quorum, trustees outline duties and upcoming elections
Summary
Two trustees met with a resident on Jan. 20, 2026 to review cemetery trustees’ duties, staff responsibilities and upcoming town-election seats; there was not a quorum and no formal votes were taken.
Gilmanton Cemetery Trustees Candace Daigle and Kevin Farrell met informally on Jan. 20, 2026, at Gilmanton Academy to answer questions about trustee duties and upcoming town elections after the trustees determined a quorum was not present. Resident Cailyn Fillion attended the short work session, which opened at 7:00 p.m. and closed at 8:30 p.m.
The trustees said the board consists of five elected members serving staggered three-year terms. Trustees John Dickey and Adam Mini will have seats on the March 2026 ballot. John Dickey, a trustee since 2012, informed the board that he plans to retire and his three-year seat will appear on the ballot; Trustee Adam Mini indicated he intends to seek election to retain his seat.
The trustees reviewed their legal authority under New Hampshire RSA 289, saying their core duties include adopting bylaws and regulations for municipal cemeteries, preparing an annual budget, expending municipal and trust funds for cemetery purposes in accordance with donors’ conditions, and preparing and signing rights of interment. They also noted that many day-to-day practices rely on locally adopted cemetery regulations, past court decrees in the state, and practical experience from other communities.
Trustees said Gilmanton manages 43 municipal cemeteries, burial grounds and historic sites. They meet monthly on the third Tuesday at 7 p.m., though July and December meetings may be canceled if there is no pressing business. Trustees receive no compensation but may be reimbursed for previously approved expenses, and each year they elect a chair and a bookkeeper from among their members and assign oversight duties such as administration and finance, site projects, history and volunteer programs.
The town employs two part-time cemetery workers who work under the trustees’ direction; one of those workers has been appointed sexton (Paul Lines) to supervise work in town-managed sites. Trustees said the part-time workers submit hours every two to three weeks, never totaling more than 40 hours, and must provide their own equipment (pickup, trailer, mower, hand tools); the town provides hi‑visibility vests, shirts and safety glasses and obtains mower fuel from the highway department.
Trustees clarified that while the town sells rights of interment and oversees work at its cemeteries, it does not provide funeral or burial services: graves are dug and granite corner posts supplied by outside companies, and families make their own arrangements. Trustees said numerous administrative and site projects remain on a to‑do list as time and resources permit.
The trustees scheduled their next meeting for Feb. 17, 2026, at 7 p.m. Because no quorum was present on Jan. 20, there were no formal votes or motions taken during the work session.
