Role of the Town Council

In 1991, the Town of Newmarket adopted the provisions of New Hampshire Revised Statutes Annotated Chapter 49-D which allows the Town to govern itself with a Town Charter. The Town Charter is the document that outlines how the Town government should operate. The Charter is to the Town what the Constitution is to the Federal and State government.

One of the major things you will notice is that Newmarket does not have a Select Board like many Towns in New Hampshire and in New England. Instead, the Town is governed by an elected 7 member Town Council, which appoints the Town Administrator to serve as the Chief Administrative Officer of the Town. The Town Council serves as both the governing body and the legislative body of the Town. That means Newmarket does not have a traditional Town Meeting. Only the annual operating budget, monetary items that are required by law, and Town Charter amendments go before the voters at Town Meeting. All other items are voted on by the Town Council.