289:6 Cemetery Trustees. –
I. Every municipality shall elect a board of cemetery trustees consisting of 3 members, unless a town at an annual or special town meeting votes that the board shall consist of 5 members. In the initial election of cemetery trustees, they shall be elected by ballot at an annual town meeting. One shall be elected for a one-year term, one for a 2-year term and one for a 3-year term. In towns with a board of 5 trustees the 2 additional trustees shall be appointed by the selectmen, one for one year and one for 2 years. Subsequent trustees shall be elected by ballot at the annual town meeting to replace those whose terms expire. The term of each trustee shall be 3 years. Vacancies shall be filled by the selectmen for the remainder of the term. The board may recommend to the appointing authority the names of no more than 2 persons who may serve as alternate members on the board. The alternate members shall be appointed to one-year terms. In cities the trustees shall be chosen and hold their office for such term as shall be provided by city ordinance. Trustees shall organize by electing one of their number chairperson and another bookkeeper, who shall keep the records and books of the trustees, and shall issue vouchers as necessary for funds to be expended. The chairperson and the bookkeeper may be the same member.
II. Any town that has the town manager form of government may vote to not have cemetery trustees by delegating all of the duties and responsibilities of cemetery trustees to the town manager, as specified in RSA 289. This option may be adopted by a vote of the town meeting. The warrant article question to be voted shall be: "Shall we discontinue the board of cemetery trustees by delegating their duties and responsibilities to the town manager?" If the majority votes in the affirmative, then the discontinuance shall take effect 90 days after adoption.
II-a. (a) Any town, with a traditional town meeting form of government, may adopt by a vote of the town meeting to have the board of selectmen serve for the term of elected office as the cemetery trustees. The warrant article to be voted shall be:
"Shall we delegate the duties and responsibilities of the cemetery trustees to the board of selectmen?"
(b) If the majority vote in the affirmative then the delegation shall take effect 90 days after adoption and shall continue until rescinded by vote of the town meeting.
III. At any subsequent town meeting, the town may vote to reinstate the board of cemetery trustees. A new board of cemetery trustees shall be elected at the town meeting next following the vote to reinstate the board of cemetery trustees.
IV. Any town that has a municipal charter form of government may specify in its charter the procedure to be utilized for the election or appointment of cemetery trustees. Such procedure shall be adopted under the provisions of RSA 49-B.
Source. 1994, 318:2. 1995, 62:1, 2, eff. July 8, 1995. 2016, 60:1, eff. July 4, 2016.