Meredith voters say they want to switch to town administrator

MEREDITH — Former Public Works Director Mike Faller feels the town’s government structure should change from a town manager to town administrator system, and the majority of voters at Town Meeting agreed.

A secret ballot vote was taken Wednesday night, and 81 people voted in favor of making the change, and 55 voted against.

“The petitioners of Article 23 feel that the time has come to seriously consider this move,” Faller said on Wednesday night.

While there were about 250 people in the audience to start, the number dwindled toward the end of the 4.5-hour meeting. The advisory measure was the final warrant article on the agenda.

Faller said he gathered 31 signatures for the petition, but could have received more.

Faller recently retired, after 28 years leading the public works department, and said there were instances over the years where he felt like his ideas were ignored by town managers. This included plans for the highway garage he thought could have saved millions of dollars.

He said the town manager role gives less power to the selectboard and department heads, and he doesn’t know if many people realize the power isn’t with the selectboard. He noted the town manager position is protected by state law, which he said gives that role “free reign.”

Leading up to the meeting, Faller published a letter to the editor with a side-by-side comparison of the manager and administrator roles. The manager is in charge of hiring and firing employees, and also prepares the budget, with direct purchasing and expenditure authority. He added the manager can only be terminated through statutory procedures.

The town administrator role is a position governed by the selectboard, with authority defined in the job description. The selectboard has the authority to hire and fire employees, and the administrator can recommend and supervise. Budget preparation is done by the administrator, and spending authority is delegated by the board.

He also said most town governments in the Lakes Region have administrators, listing off 14 communities, including Belmont and Gilford.

Faller didn’t name anyone during Town Meeting, and in the past, said his feelings were not specific to one manager.

In an interview in the days leading up to Town Meeting, Faller said there were instances with several managers he worked under that finally led to him putting together the petitioned article. He was critical of the community development department rearrangement, several hires, and said the selectboard sometimes finds out about things “last minute.” He said this has been on his mind for “a long time,” and does not think he is alone.

Jack Carty, a former longtime school board member and resident of the town for the past four decades, was in favor of the change. He said he's been around long enough to see some good managers, and some “not so good” come through. This also goes for the selectboards, but then he lauded the current board, saying it's the best he has seen.

“You couldn’t hire this talent,” Carty said.

Carty said the problem is, every election there is a chance to vote a member off the selectboard, if voters don't approve of them. This isn’t the case with the town manager, as the position is protected by statute. In the case of an administrator; if there is concern by a group of people in town, the selectboard can remove the administrator.

He said a problem he sees is there could be issues residents have, and they could address the selectboard, but if the town manager feels otherwise, it is the manager’s call on how to proceed.

“So, I support an administrator,” Carty said.

Meghan Theriault, of Meredith, is also director of Gilford’s public works department, and previously worked in Goffstown. Both towns work under a town administrator, which she said works “excellent” and provides “good transparency.”

She said the department heads are all invited to meetings, and in Gilford, are expected to be present so they can bring forward concerns with the selectboard and administrator, to have an open discussion.

“Most times, I’ve already talked to the town administrator,” Theriault said.

She said it has worked well as a department leader, regardless of whether they agree. It allows her to voice opinions and feelings, and she said she understands Faller’s concerns there could be a bottleneck when it comes to information being relayed from a department head to the manager, before arriving at the selectboard.

“I am 100% in favor of the article,” Theriault said.

Sharon Juve said she wanted to be clear she appreciates the work everyone in town does. She said this was “probably the most important topic” of the night, and said it is about “structural democratic inefficiency.”

Juve noted taxpayers trust the board they elected to make decisions, but there is also a pool of experts as department leaders and staff, who have been in Meredith for years, who know how things operate. She does not see these experts speaking to the board, and there is a lack of “collaborative flow.”

She said she isn’t sure if she supports a type of hierarchy, as Faller alluded to, but would like to see people working for the town to have more of a voice.

“At least structurally that needs to change,” Juve said.

There were some in the audience opposed. Bob Manley, owner of Hermit Woods Winery & Eatery and a resident of Meredith, said he is impressed by the hard work of the town’s staff. He said everything isn’t always perfect, and won’t ever be, but hopes the strong management of the town can continue, as it has for many years.

Rick DeMark said he lives by the rule “if it ain’t broke, don’t fix it.”

“I don’t believe it’s broke,” DeMark said.

Faller said on Feb. 23, the selectboard had the opportunity to change the wording of the article with the assistance of the town’s attorney, and didn't, and he respects the decision. He hopes residents' vote in the affirmative is an indication of what the town desires, and it can be put on the ballot for 2027.

“I think it is time to consider this,” he said.