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Select board declares fire chief's contract void after town-meeting salary cap; 2–1 vote
Summary
The New Durham select board voted 2–1 to declare the town's three-year employment agreement with Fire Chief Timothy Wyler terminated after voters at town meeting limited the chief's salary to $40,000. Board members exchanged brief statements of thanks; the action was taken under a provision the board said stems from the town-meeting appropriation.
On May 13, 2026, the New Durham select board voted 2–1 to declare void the town's three-year employment agreement with Fire Chief Timothy Wyler after Article 30 at the recent town meeting limited the chief's salary to $40,000.
The Chair read the article and said the appropriation limit set at town meeting "negate[d] the existing three-year contract" and thus the agreement "is terminated" and "of no further force and effect." The board then moved and seconded the motion to declare the contract void; the motion passed by roll call, 2–1.
A committee member who opposed the motion said, "I will be voting against this," and then offered public thanks to Chief Timothy Wyler, saying he brought "a level of professionalism to this fire department" and that residents and firefighters have shown gratitude for his work. The Chair also extended appreciation to Wyler.
The transcript records a roll-call-style tally related to other votes that included spoken votes by "Kenya Hossangland" (aye), "Bridal Rosiello" (aye) and "Zelle" (no) in a separate item; the fire-contract motion itself was recorded in this meeting as passing 2–1. The record does not show full, unified roll-call mappings tying each vote name to the fire-contract motion beyond the stated 2–1 outcome.
The Chair cited the town-meeting appropriation limit as the basis for voiding the contract; the record references state authority in the discussion (transcribed as "RSA 154:15"). The board did not adopt a replacement compensation agreement during the session; members limited their action to declaring the existing agreement terminated and offering thanks to Chief Wyler.
The board moved next to other business and reconvened in public later in the meeting. No appeal or further administrative action was recorded in the public transcript on May 13.
