Title III, Towns, Cities, Village Districts, and Unincorporated Places

Subject to the applicable provisions of state law and the rules and regulations provided by ordinance in the administrative code, the elected body, by resolution, may authorize the borrowing of money for any purpose within the scope of the powers vested in the city and the issuan…

The elected body shall have the power to determine that the whole or any part of the expense of any public improvement shall be defrayed by special assessments upon the property especially benefited and shall so declare by resolution. Such resolution shall state the estimated cos…

The elected body shall prescribe by general ordinance complete special assessment procedures concerning plans and specifications, estimate of costs, notice and hearing, the making of the special assessment roll and correction of errors, the collection of special assessments, and …

No employee of the city at the time this charter is adopted shall be required to take any examination in order to continue within the employment of the city. All other provisions of the merit plan will apply to such employees. The incumbents when this charter takes effect who are…

Every person elected or appointed to any city office before entering upon the duties of his office shall take and subscribe to an oath of office, as provided by law, which shall be filed and kept in the office of the city clerk.

Written notice of election or appointment of any city officer shall be mailed to him at his address by the city clerk within 48 hours after the appointment is made or the vote canvassed. If, within 10 days from the date of the notice, such officer shall not take, subscribe to, an…

Town charters adopted under RSA 49-B and patterned as prescribed by this chapter may adopt a charter providing for one of the following types of legislative bodies: I. Town council shall be an elected body which serves as the legislative and governing body of the town. Any charte…

I. In any municipality not operating under a charter governed by RSA 49-C or RSA 49-D, the municipal officers may determine that adoption of a municipal charter is necessary and, by order, submit the question of establishment of a charter commission to the voters as provided in t…

The city shall continue to be divided into the same number of wards as constituted at the time of the adoption of a charter hereunder, and the general laws relative to wards of cities, officers of such wards and voters, checklists, elections and jurors shall be applicable to such…

The removal in accordance with this charter with or without cause of a person elected or appointed or otherwise chosen for a fixed term shall give no right or action for breach of contract.

Any person who violates any provisions of the charter, unless otherwise provided, or violates any city ordinance for which no other punishment is provided, shall be guilty of a misdemeanor and, notwithstanding RSA 651:2, be fined not more than $500 or imprisoned not more than 90 …

All records of the city shall be public in accordance with RSA 91-A.

I. City charters may include provisions relating to any or all of the following matters: (a) Referendum procedures whereby voters may petition to suspend implementation of an ordinance, except budget adoption and land use regulation ordinances, enacted by the elected body, requir…

So much of the previous charter of the city and of laws passed in amendment or supplementary to the charter, as now may be in force, relative to the constitution and bounds of its several wards, its school districts and sewer, lighting, and other special precincts and their gover…

I. The charter commission shall consist of 9 members, all of whom shall be registered voters of the municipality and elected as hereinafter provided. (a) Within 5 days after the deadline for requesting a recount of a vote confirming the establishment of a charter commission, or w…

The elected body shall act in all matters as a body, and shall not seek individually to influence the official acts of the chief administrative officer, or any other official, or to direct or request, except in writing, the appointment of any person to, or his removal from, offic…

The election officers in each ward whose duty it is to conduct regular biennial elections shall conduct a municipal election at city expense in the same manner as a regular biennial election on a date permitted for city elections in RSA 44:11 and specified in the charter to elect…

I. The chairman of the charter commission, if any, and otherwise the municipal clerk shall file a report, which shall include the name and address of the clerk and the chairman of the charter commission, with the secretary of state, the attorney general, and the commissioner of t…

I. Upon approval from the secretary of state, attorney general, and commissioner of the department of revenue administration under RSA 49-B:4-a, the charter commission shall submit to the municipal officers its final report, which shall include the full text and explanation of th…

I. If the charter commission is unable to obtain approval pursuant to RSA 49-B:4-a in time to submit its final report by the date established in RSA 49-B:4-b, or otherwise does not complete its preliminary or final report in accordance with the schedule established in this subdiv…

For purposes of this chapter, a "revision" to a municipal charter shall mean any change to an existing charter that results in a change in the municipality's form of government to any of the following forms: I. Traditional town meeting. II. Official ballot town meeting. III. Town…

I. The municipal officers may determine that a revision of the municipal charter is necessary and, by order, submit the question of establishment of a commission to revise the charter to the voters, in the same manner as provided for the establishment of a charter commission unde…

For purposes of this chapter, an "amendment" to a municipal charter shall mean any change to an existing charter that does not constitute a revision under RSA 49-B:4-d.

Any charter adopted pursuant to this chapter may provide for the efficient and timely transition to any new form of government including, but not limited to, the holding of any necessary special elections, the phasing in of any aspect of the new form of government, expenditure au…

Persons who would be qualified to vote in a biennial election if held on the day of such municipal election shall be qualified to vote in all elections held pursuant to this chapter, and all such elections shall be deemed elections within the meaning of all general statutes, pena…

I. The municipal officers may determine that one or more amendments to the municipal charter are necessary and shall, by order, provide for notice and hearing on them. The notice of the hearing shall be published in a newspaper having general circulation in the municipality at le…

The method of voting at municipal elections when a question relating to a charter revision, a charter adoption, or a charter amendment is involved shall be in the manner prescribed for municipal elections. In a town, the question shall appear on the ballot before any other questi…

The city clerk shall prepare the ballots to be used at the municipal elections. Under charters providing for election by the Australian ballot system, the ballots shall be prepared in accordance with the procedure provided for in general election laws governing such system. Under…

Within 3 days after the results of the election have been declared, the municipal clerk shall prepare and sign duplicate certificates setting forth any charter that has been adopted or revised and any charter amendment approved. One certificate shall be recorded in the office of …

Any election contest shall be resolved in accordance with the procedure set forth in the general election laws governing biennial elections.

The governing and legislative body under the mayor-aldermen plan shall be a principal officer called the mayor and a board of aldermen; and, under the council-manager plan shall be a city council, all of whom shall be elected. In the mayor-aldermen plan the mayor shall be elected…

Any municipality may, by the adoption, amendment or repeal of ordinances or bylaws, exercise any power or function granted to a municipality by the constitution or general law. No change in the composition, mode of election or terms of office of the legislative body, the mayor or…

Private and special laws applying to a specific municipality and general laws which a municipality has the option to adopt or rescind shall continue in force and effect unless specifically repealed by a charter adoption, revision, or amendment under this chapter.

No person shall be a candidate for the office of mayor, councilor-at-large, or alderman-at-large who is not a registered voter of the city. No person shall be a candidate for the office of ward alderman or ward councilor who is not a registered voter in the ward in which he or sh…

The selectmen or mayor and aldermen shall not lay out, establish, or enlarge a park or common unless the town or city councils of the city shall have voted in favor thereof.

If any person suffers special damage by the discontinuance of a common or park he may have the damage assessed in the same manner as special damages are assessed in case of the discontinuance of a highway.

The northerly and southerly lines of towns adjoining Connecticut river are continued and extended across the river to the westerly line of the state, and the west line of the state is the western boundary of such towns.

The lines between the towns in this state shall be perambulated, and the marks and bounds renewed, once in every 7 years forever, by the selectmen of the towns, or by such persons as they shall in writing appoint for that purpose.

If the selectmen of any town deem it necessary that the town lines be perambulated or any marks and bounds renewed at other times than at the regular perambulation provided for by RSA 51:2 they may give notice to the selectmen of the town adjoining and the procedure for said pera…

A return of the perambulation shall be made, particularly describing the courses and distances and the marks and monuments of such line, which shall be signed by the selectmen or persons making the same, recorded in the respective town books, and filed with the secretary of state…

The selectmen of the town first incorporated, or, if both were incorporated on the same day, of the town which is highest in the proportion of public taxes, shall give to the selectmen of the town adjoining notice of the time and place of meeting for such perambulation 10 days be…

If the selectmen whose duty it is to give such notice shall neglect to notify as aforesaid, or shall neglect to attend agreeably to such notice, or if the selectmen of any town, after being duly notified, shall neglect to attend, or if any selectman shall neglect to cause a retur…

I. When the selectmen of adjoining towns shall disagree in renewing and establishing the lines and bounds of such towns, the superior court for the county in which the town first incorporated or paying the highest tax as aforesaid is situate, upon petition and after notice to the…

When the place next to any town has no organization and is on the line of adjoining counties, the county commissioners of the county in which the place is situated shall be empowered to act in the perambulation of the line between the county and town, and shall be notified and pr…

No portion of the territory of any town or city shall be united with another town or city unless the legislative enactment providing for such union shall be ratified by 2/3 of the voters of each town or city affected, present and voting by ballot at the regular annual or biennial…