{"id":12839,"date":"2026-09-24T18:06:06","date_gmt":"2026-09-24T22:06:06","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/townunderground.com\/?p=12839"},"modified":"2026-09-24T18:06:11","modified_gmt":"2026-09-24T22:06:11","slug":"ai-follow-up-on-removing-the-town-manager","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/townunderground.com\/?p=12839","title":{"rendered":"AI: Follow Up on Removing the Town Manager"},"content":{"rendered":"\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">A follow up to <a href=\"https:\/\/townunderground.com\/?p=12812\">AI: How can a New Hampshire municipal Town Manager be removed?<\/a> the post focused on two different RSA&#8217;s<br><br><a href=\"https:\/\/gc.nh.gov\/\/rsa\/html\/III\/37\/37-3.htm\" data-type=\"link\" data-id=\"https:\/\/gc.nh.gov\/\/rsa\/html\/III\/37\/37-3.htm\">37:3<\/a> <strong>Qualifications of Manager and Authority of Selectmen.\u00a0<\/strong><br><a href=\"https:\/\/gc.nh.gov\/\/rsa\/html\/III\/49-D\/49-D-2.htm\" data-type=\"link\" data-id=\"https:\/\/gc.nh.gov\/\/rsa\/html\/III\/49-D\/49-D-2.htm\">49-D<\/a> <strong>Town Council-Town Manager. \u2013<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The key point is that <strong>RSA 37:3 and RSA 49-D:2 are not competing provisions<\/strong>. For a New Hampshire town operating under the <strong>town-council\/town-manager form of government<\/strong>, RSA 49-D:2 specifically incorporates the standards of RSA 37.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">RSA 37:3 expressly says that a manager is subject to the direction and supervision of the selectmen and may be removed by a <strong>majority vote for cause<\/strong>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">RSA 49-D:2, however, is written specifically for a <strong>town-council\/town-manager charter<\/strong>. It requires the charter to provide for appointment of the chief administrative officer by the <strong>town council<\/strong>, and says the manager must have the same qualifications, authority and responsibilities and <strong>\u201csimilar job security\u201d<\/strong> as a manager under RSA 37.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">The important difference: &#8220;same&#8221; vs. &#8220;similar&#8221;<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">This is where the wording gets interesting.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">RSA 49-D:2 does <strong>not<\/strong> say:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<blockquote class=\"wp-block-quote is-layout-flow wp-block-quote-is-layout-flow\">\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">&#8220;shall enjoy the same job security as town managers under RSA 37.&#8221;<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">It says:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<blockquote class=\"wp-block-quote is-layout-flow wp-block-quote-is-layout-flow\">\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">&#8220;enjoy <strong>similar job security<\/strong> as town managers under RSA 37.&#8221;<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">So there is a textual distinction.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">By contrast, for <strong>qualifications, authority and responsibility<\/strong>, 49-D:2 says:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>&#8220;same basis&#8221;<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>&#8220;same qualifications&#8221;<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>&#8220;same authority&#8221;<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>&#8220;responsibility&#8221;<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">But for <strong>job security<\/strong>, it deliberately says <strong>&#8220;similar job security.&#8221;<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">That means you should <strong>not automatically assume that the removal language in RSA 37:3 literally transfers word-for-word into every 49-D town charter.<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\">But there is another very important provision<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">RSA 49-D:3(I)(a) provides that when a town adopts the town-council form, <strong>all powers and duties of selectmen conferred by statute or the Constitution are transferred to the town council<\/strong>, subject to the statute and charter.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">So the statutory structure is essentially:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><strong>RSA 37:3<\/strong><br>\u2192 establishes the traditional town-manager standard, including removal for cause by the governing body.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><strong>RSA 49-D:2<\/strong><br>\u2192 requires a 49-D town manager to have substantially equivalent qualifications, authority, responsibilities and similar job security.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><strong>RSA 49-D:3(I)(a)<\/strong><br>\u2192 gives the town council the powers and duties that selectmen would otherwise have under statute.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">That is why <strong>you have to read RSA 37, RSA 49-D, and the specific town charter together.<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\">One more significant point for Londonderry<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The current language of RSA 49-D:2 was amended in <strong>2023<\/strong>. The Legislature specifically changed the statute to its current town-council\/town-manager structure. The amendment became effective October 3, 2023.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">So if you&#8217;re investigating <strong>exactly how Shaun Mulholland can be removed as Londonderry Town Manager<\/strong>, I would not stop at these two RSAs.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><mark style=\"background-color:rgba(0, 0, 0, 0)\" class=\"has-inline-color has-vivid-red-color\">The decisive question becomes:<\/mark><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><strong><mark style=\"background-color:rgba(0, 0, 0, 0)\" class=\"has-inline-color has-vivid-red-color\">What does the Londonderry Town Charter say about the Town Manager&#8217;s appointment, supervision, removal and employment?<\/mark><\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><mark style=\"background-color:rgba(0, 0, 0, 0)\" class=\"has-inline-color has-vivid-red-color\">That charter language could determine whether the Council needs <strong>cause, a particular vote, notice\/hearing, compliance with an employment agreement, or some combination of those.<\/strong><\/mark><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><strong>Londonderry <a href=\"https:\/\/www.londonderrynh.gov\/DocumentCenter\/View\/702\/Town-Charter-PDF\" data-type=\"link\" data-id=\"https:\/\/www.londonderrynh.gov\/DocumentCenter\/View\/702\/Town-Charter-PDF\">Town Charter<\/a> Town Manager \u00a73.02 Removal:<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><em>The Manager may be reprimanded or removed by the affirmative<mark style=\"background-color:rgba(0, 0, 0, 0)\" class=\"has-inline-color has-vivid-red-color\"> vote of at least four (4) members of the Council <\/mark>as herein provided. At least thirty (30) days before the proposed reprimand or removal of the Manager, the Council shall adopt a resolution stating its intention to reprimand or remove him, the reasons therefor, and an effective date. A copy of the resolution shall be served forthwith on the Manager, who may, within ten (10) days, demand a public hearing, in which event the Manager shall not be reprimanded or removed until such public hearing has been held.<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">There is clearly a distinction between the two RSA&#8217;s<br><br><strong>Reelated Posts:<\/strong><br><a href=\"https:\/\/townunderground.com\/?p=12812\">AI: How can a New Hampshire municipal Town Manager be removed?<\/a><br><a href=\"https:\/\/townunderground.com\/?p=12806\">Legal Opinion On Dismissing the Town Manager<\/a><br><a href=\"https:\/\/townunderground.com\/?p=12803\">The Dismissal of Town Manager Shawn Mulholland<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>A follow up to AI: How can a New Hampshire municipal Town Manager be removed? the post focused on two different RSA&#8217;s 37:3 Qualifications of Manager and Authority of Selectmen.\u00a049-D Town Council-Town Manager. \u2013 The key point is that RSA 37:3 and RSA 49-D:2 are not competing provisions. For a&#8230;<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"give_campaign_id":0,"_jetpack_newsletter_access":"","_jetpack_dont_email_post_to_subs":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_tier_id":0,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paywalled_content":false,"_jetpack_feature_clip_id":0,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":"","jetpack_publicize_message":"","jetpack_publicize_feature_enabled":true,"jetpack_social_post_already_shared":true,"jetpack_social_options":{"image_generator_settings":{"template":"highway","default_image_id":0,"font":"","enabled":false},"version":2},"jetpack_post_was_ever_published":false},"categories":[1],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-12839","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-uncategorized"],"jetpack_publicize_connections":[],"jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"jetpack-related-posts":[],"jetpack_featured_media_url":"","_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/townunderground.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/12839","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/townunderground.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/townunderground.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/townunderground.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/townunderground.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=12839"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/townunderground.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/12839\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":12840,"href":"https:\/\/townunderground.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/12839\/revisions\/12840"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/townunderground.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=12839"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/townunderground.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=12839"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/townunderground.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=12839"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}