The council shall fill for the unexpired portion of the term
any vacancy in any office to which appointments have been made by
the council. The council shall fill for the unexpired portion of the
term any vacancy in any elective town office except vacancies on the
board of education. The board of education shall fill, until the next
general town election, vacancies occurring on said board. Each such
appointee, by either the council or the board of education, shall
be a member of the same political party as the person whose position
is vacant.
[Ref. El. 11-4-1980]
Any appointment to office by the council shall require an affirmative
vote of not less than five (5) members of the council except that
of the town manager which shall require six (6) affirmative votes.
[Ref. El. 11-4-1980;
Ref. El. 11-3-1998]
Any appointee of the council except the town manager appointed
for an indefinite term may be removed by an affirmative vote of five
(5) members of said council as herein provided. At least thirty (30)
days before the proposed removal of any appointee, the council shall
adopt a resolution stating its intention to remove such appointee
and the reasons therefor, a copy of which shall be served forthwith
on said appointee who may, within ten (10) days, demand a public hearing
at which the appointee shall have an opportunity to be heard in the
appointee's own defense, personally and/or by counsel, in which
event said appointee shall not be removed until such public hearing
has been held. Such public hearing shall be held not earlier than
twenty (20) days nor later than thirty (30) days after an appointee
has been notified of the council's intention to remove said appointee.
Upon the passage of the resolution stating the council's intention
to remove an appointee, said appointee shall be suspended and compensation,
if any, may be terminated; provided said appointee shall receive any
accrued compensation and benefits to which the appointee is entitled,
and provided further, that, if reinstated, said appointee shall thereupon
receive the compensation and benefits for the period during which
said appointee was suspended. Within thirty (30) days after the aforesaid
public hearing, or, if there be no public hearing, within thirty (30)
days after adoption of the resolution stating its intention to remove
an appointee, the council shall approve or reject such resolution.
The removal of the town manager appointed for an indefinite term shall
require the affirmative vote of at least six (6) members of the town
council. Because a manager appointed for an indefinite term serves
at the pleasure of the council, the council action for removal may
be with or without specific cause. Removal of a town manager with
a written contract shall require the affirmative vote of at least
five (5) members of the town council and shall be governed by the
terms of that contract. Upon any such suspension of the manager, the
council may appoint an acting manager to serve at the pleasure of
the council but not more than one hundred and twenty (120) days. The
action of the council in removing any of its appointees shall be final.
