Dear fellow Hanoverians:
The Town Manager debate has grown interesting, and I find
myself hard-pressed to represent both sides fairly. One tenet that I promise
that I will abide by is that it will not become a personal debate. In
other words, I plan to provide information to all of you that is provided to me
by both sides, but without slander, innuendo, or disparaging remarks. I
will also do my best to insure the information is factual information, and not
biased. Please understand that this is sometimes inherently a subjective
decision! I hope to merely illuminate the issues for you to make a
decision on your own.
That being said, the following “Frequently Asked
Questions” were submitted to me by Linda DiNardo, the chair of the Town
Manager Study Committee:
Q: If this proposal is
adopted at Town Meeting what would initially change?
A: The following changes would occur:
Membership on the Board of Selectmen (BoS) would increase from 3
to 5 members
The new position of Town Manager, appointed and supervised by the
Board of Selectmen, would replace the position of Town Administrator
All department heads, with the exception of those under the school
department, would report to the Town Manager
The Board of Public Works would become advisory in nature, assisting
in the development of policy guidelines for the operation of the
Department of Public Works. It would defer the hiring of personnel to the
Town Manager.
Q: If passed, when will
the Town Manager form of government take effect?
A: With voter approval, full implementation of this
proposal will be completed by the fall of 2010.
May 2009 – Voter approval at Town Meeting
May 2009 – Voter approval by Town Ballot
May 2009 through December 2009 – Approval by State
Legislature
May 2010 – Addition of two positions for Selectmen to Town
Ballot
Fall 2010 – Selection process for Town Manager completed
Q: How many communities with a Town Manager
have a five member Board of Selectmen?
A: Of the 57 communities with a Town Manager, 39 have a
five member Board of Selectmen.
Q: Which nearby
communities now have a Town Manager?
A: Nearby communities include Abington, Cohasset,
Chatham, Concord, Duxbury, Foxboro, Hull, Lexington, Mansfield, Middleboro,
North Andover, Plymouth, Reading, Saugus, Stoughton, and Sudbury.
Q: What is the difference
between a Town Manager and a Town Administrator?
A: There are several important differences between a Town
Manager and a Town Administrator:
A Town Manager has statutory authority to manage the day to day
operations of the departments
A Town Administrator carries out only those duties assigned and
authorized by the Board of Selectmen
Under a Town Manager the Board of Selectmen would assume a broader
policy setting role
Under a Town Manager all department heads, other than the schools,
report to the Town Manager
Under a Town Manager the Board of Selectmen would defer the day to
day operations and oversight of departments to the Town Manager
Under a Town Administrator the BoS is involved in day to day
decision making
All department budgets would go to the Town Manager for review
A Town Manager’s duties would include but not be limited to
management, procurement, human resources, and fiscal analysis
Q: Which department heads
would be appointed by and report to the Town Manager?
A. The following department
head positions would be appointed by (in consultation with the respective
boards, committees, and officials) and report to the Town Manager, subject to
approval by BoS:
Fire Chief
Police Chief
Director of Municipal Finance
Superintendent of Public Works
Planner
Health Agent
Building Inspector
Conservation Agent
Library Director
Council on Aging Director
Parks and Recreation Administrator
Q: Will voters lose the
right to elect representatives to the various boards?
A: No, all boards and officials that are currently
elected will remain elected and all boards and officials that are currently
appointed will remain appointed.
Q: Will voter participation
change at Town Meetings?
A: No, the legislative powers of the Town will
remain vested in the Town Meeting open to all voters.
Q: How will the role of
the Board of Selectmen change?
A: It will relinquish its involvement in the day to day operations of
the town departments to the Town Manager and become the chief goal setting and
policy making body of the town. The Board will act through the adoption of
policy directives and guidelines which will be implemented by the Town Manager.
Q: What duties will be
retained by the Board of Selectmen?
A: The Board of Selectmen will
continue to appoint Town Counsel, issue licenses, and hire an audit firm; they
will continue to appoint the following standing and ad hoc committees, boards,
and commissions:
Historical Commission &nb sp; &nbs p;   ;
Affordable Housing Partnership
Overseers of the Stetson House
Cultural Council
Fair Housing Committee
Affirmative Action Committee
Design Review Board
E-911 Committee
Commissioners of Trust Funds
Cable Advisory Committee
Route 53 Study Committee
Council on Aging
Board of Appeals
Conservation Commission
Representative to the South Shore Vocational Technical School
Negotiating Representative to the South Shore Vocational Technical
School
Energy Advisory Committee
Q: What steps did the Town
Manager Study Committee take to get to this point?
A: Understanding that the overall operation of town
government has become increasingly complex, the Committee took the following
steps to meet with stakeholders and develop a document for consideration by
voters which provides for a more efficient mechanism to address the town’s
needs:
Conferred with the various departments, boards and officials to
help determine if a Town Manager form of government would better suit the
needs of the Town of Hanover
Undertook discussions and interviews with other Town Managers
Conducted a public hearing to elicit the viewpoints, concerns and
recommendations of residents
Reviewed data from other communities
Met with members of previous government study committees
Researched information from the Massachusetts Municipal
Association
Used the input obtained from residents at its public hearing, as
well as key information compiled within the Town of Hanover’s
Master Plan, to draft this article
Q: Will the salary of Town
Manager cost the town more money than the salary of a Town Administrator?
A: It may be necessary to set a higher salary for a Town
Manager, commensurate with his/her expanded authority, duties, and
responsibilities.
Q: In the quest to bring
in new revenue, will the Town Manager have the power to raise fees?
A: No, any request for an increase in fees by any
department, official, board or committee, including a request by the Town Manager,
must be brought to the voters at a Town Meeting for approval.
Q: How would the Town
Manager be chosen?
A. The Board of Selectmen will be responsible for the
appointment, supervision, and removal of the Town Manager.
For "Around Town on the Web",
Cathy H-B
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