|In my opinion, John Salisbury|
Candidates for the vacant New Gloucester town manager position should be aware the draft Charter Commission proposal (August 8) effectively reduces the responsibilities of the position when compared to the state town manager statutes.
In my opinion, the use of the term “town manager” in the August 8 draft is a misnomer. “Administrative assistant” is a more accurate description of what is contained in the draft charter proposal.
One area involves who can make appointments. A comparison of the state town manager statute and the NG Charter Commission draft proposal is outlined below:
The results of the citizen survey the Charter Commission conducted overwhelmingly supported the continuation of the town manager form of government under which the town is currently operating. The Charter Commission needs to revisit this issue. The town’s citizens do not support the elimination of the town manager form of government under which the town is currently operating!
The Charter Commission proposal is likely to be a barrier to attracting experienced town manager candidates.
John Salisbury
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