Chapter 6 - Appointive Officers

Section 6-1 - General

The Board of Selectmen by majority vote shall appoint by resolution the following Town officers: a Town Manager, a Town attorney and a treasurer. The Board of Selectmen shall appoint by ordinance such other Town officers, boards and commissions as it may determine are necessary or appropriate for the general welfare of the Town and not otherwise specifically provided for in this Charter. It may also appoint by resolution such committees as it may determine are necessary or appropriate for the general welfare of the Town.

Section 6-2 - Terms of Office

All officers appointed by the Board of Selectmen, except the Town Manager, shall take office on the second Monday of January, following the Town election and shall serve such terms as are hereinafter set forth and until their respective successors shall have been appointed and shall have qualified. It is the intention of this section to permit the Board of Selectmen to provide that the terms of appointed officers other than the Town Manager shall uniformly begin and expire at noon on the second Monday in January in the even-numbered years. The Town Manager shall serve at the pleasure of the Board. Members of any board or commission appointed by the Board of Selectmen shall serve such terms as are provided by ordinance of the Board of Selectmen.

Section 6-3 - General Powers & Duties

Except as otherwise provided in this Charter, all appointed officials, boards and commissions shall have all the powers and duties prescribed by law or ordinance.

Section 6-4 - Minority Representation, Appointive Agencies

Minority representation on any board, commission, committee or similar body of the Town appointed by the Board of Selectmen shall be determined in accordance with the provisions of section 9-167a of the general statutes as amended except in the case of a five-member board, committee, commission or similar body where the maximum number of any such board, committee, commission or similar body from the same political party shall be three. As provided in said section, the maximum number of any such board, commission, committee or similar body who may be members of the same political party shall be as specified in the following table:

Section 6-5 - Vacancies

Any vacancy in any appointive Town office, from whatever cause arising, shall be filled by appointment by the appointing authority to such office for the unexpired portion of the term vacated.

Section 6-6 - Town Attorney

The Town attorney shall be an attorney at law admitted to practice law in this state. He shall appear for and protect the rights of the Town in all actions, suits or proceedings brought by or against it or any of its officers or agencies. He shall be the legal advisor to all Town officers or agencies in all matters affecting the Town and shall upon written request furnish them with a written opinion on any question of law involving their respective powers and duties. Upon request he shall prepare or approve forms of contracts or other instruments to which the Town is a party or in which it has an interest. He shall have power, with the approval of the Board of Selectmen, to compromise and settle any claims by or against the Town and to appeal from orders, decisions and judgments.

Section 6-7 - Combined Functions & Positions

Except as otherwise provided by law, the Board of Selectmen in filling appointive positions may, by majority vote, combine functions and positions.

Section 6-8 - Treasurer

Duties of the treasurer shall be as provided in section 7-80 of the general statutes.