NEW HAMPSHIRE MUNICIPAL ASSOCIATION Knowing the Territory A Survey of Municipal Law for New Hampshire Local Officials — 2020 — Copyright © 2020 New Hampshire Municipal Association — 2020 Edition — 1 NEW HAMPSHIRE MUNICIPAL ASSOCIATION 2 TABLE OF CONTENTS Introduction: Knowing the Territory 2020 Edition ............................................ 13 Chapter One: Finding the Law ............................................................................ 15 I. Types of State Law ................................................................................................................... 15 A. Statutes ....................................................................................................................................... 15 B. Legislation .................................................................................................................................. 16 C. Supplements ............................................................................................................................... 16 D. Annotations ................................................................................................................................. 17 E. The Common Law (Court Cases) ............................................................................................... 17 F. Administrative Rules .................................................................................................................. 18 II. Where to Get the Law ............................................................................................................... 18 A. Internet ........................................................................................................................................ 18 B. Libraries ...................................................................................................................................... 19 Chapter Two: The Municipality’s Relationship with Other Governments ....... 20 I. The Authority of Towns and Cities ......................................................................................... 20 A. Local Government Receives Its Authority from the State .......................................................... 20 B. No Home Rule Authority in New Hampshire .............................................................................. 20 C. Authority Is Usually Found in Statute ......................................................................................... 20 D. Town Statutes Apply to Cities ..................................................................................................... 21 E. Use Caution with Broad Statutory Language ............................................................................. 21 F. Unfunded State Mandates .......................................................................................................... 22 II. Preemption ................................................................................................................................ 24 III. Relationships with Other Governments ................................................................................. 30 A. Intergovernmental Agreements: Cooperation Among Municipalities .......................................... 30 B. Counties ...................................................................................................................................... 32 C. Village Districts ........................................................................................................................... 32 IV. Education ................................................................................................................................... 35 A. School Districts ........................................................................................................................... 35 B. Cooperative School Districts ....................................................................................................... 35 C. Chartered Public Schools ............................................................................................................ 37 D. School Administrative Units ......................................................................................................... 38 Chapter Three: New Hampshire Town Government ......................................... 39 I. Forms of Town Government .................................................................................................... 39 A. Town Meeting-Select Board ........................................................................................................ 39 B. Definitions ................................................................................................................................... 39 C. Local Charters ............................................................................................................................. 39 D. Checks and Balances ................................................................................................................. 41 II. The Role of the Governing Body ............................................................................................. 41 A. How Does the Board of Select Board Function? ....................................................................... 41 B. What Do Select Boards Do? ....................................................................................................... 41 III. Role of a Town Manager ........................................................................................................... 46 A. Adoption ...................................................................................................................................... 46 B. Hiring .......................................................................................................................................... 46 C. Duties .......................................................................................................................................... 46 IV. Town Meeting ........................................................................................................................... 47 A. ‘Pure’ Democracy ....................................................................................................................... 47 B. Basic Principles of Town Meeting ............................................................................................... 48 C. Warrant Articles ........................................................................................................................... 49 3 NEW HAMPSHIRE MUNICIPAL ASSOCIATION D. Control of the Meeting .................................................................................................................. 51 V. Official Ballot Referendum Form of Town Meeting ................................................................. 56 A. Adoption ......................................................................................................................................... 56 B. Two Sessions ................................................................................................................................. 56 C. Operating Budget ........................................................................................................................... 57 D. Default Budget ............................................................................................................................... 58 E. Special Meetings ............................................................................................................................ 59 F. Schedule ......................................................................................................................................... 59 G. Voting on Bond Articles .................................................................................................................. 59 H. Reconsideration and Restricting Reconsideration ........................................................................ 60 I. Bad Weather Postponement ............................................................................................................ 60 J. Charter Method for Enacting Official Ballot Referendum Voting .................................................... 60 VI. Checklist for Ordinances Enacted by the Legislative Body .................................................... 60 A. Authority ......................................................................................................................................... 60 B. Preemption ..................................................................................................................................... 60 C. Who Votes ...................................................................................................................................... 61 D. Procedure ....................................................................................................................................... 61 E. Enforcement ................................................................................................................................... 61 Chapter Four: The Select Board’s Relationship with Other Local Officials ... 62 I. The Select Board as the Governing Body ................................................................................. 62 A. The Selectmen Must Act as a Board ............................................................................................. 62 B.