Me. Rev. Stat. » Title 30-A
Maine Revised Statutes

Me. Rev. Stat. tit. 30-A, § 2636 (2026)

Powers and duties of town manager

✓ current as of May 2026
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The town manager:   [PL 1987, c. 737, Pt. A, §2 (NEW); PL 1987, c. 737, Pt. C, §106 (NEW); PL 1989, c. 6 (AMD); PL 1989, c. 9, §2 (AMD); PL 1989, c. 104, Pt. C, §§8, 10 (AMD).]
1.  Executive and administrative officer.  Is the chief executive and administrative official of the town;  
[PL 1987, c. 737, Pt. A, §2 (NEW); PL 1987, c. 737, Pt. C, §106 (NEW); PL 1989, c. 6 (AMD); PL 1989, c. 9, §2 (AMD); PL 1989, c. 104, Pt. C, §§8, 10 (AMD).]
2.  Administer offices.  Is responsible to the select board for the administration of all departments and offices over which the select board has control;  
[PL 2021, c. 275, §42 (AMD).]
3.  Execute laws and ordinances.  Shall execute all laws and ordinances of the town;  
[PL 1987, c. 737, Pt. A, §2 (NEW); PL 1987, c. 737, Pt. C, §106 (NEW); PL 1989, c. 6 (AMD); PL 1989, c. 9, §2 (AMD); PL 1989, c. 104, Pt. C, §§8, 10 (AMD).]
4.  Department head.  Shall serve in any office as the head of any department under the control of the select board when directed by the select board;  
[PL 2021, c. 275, §42 (AMD).]
5.  Appoint department heads.  Shall appoint, subject to confirmation by the select board, supervise and control the heads of departments under the control of the select board when the department is not headed by the town manager under subsection 4;  
[PL 2021, c. 275, §42 (AMD).]
6.  Appoint town officials.  Unless otherwise provided by town ordinance, shall appoint, supervise and control all town officials whom the municipal officers are required by law to appoint, except members of boards, commissions, committees and single assessors; and appoint, supervise and control all other officials, subordinates and assistants, except that the town manager may delegate this authority to a department head and report all appointments to the select board;  
[PL 2021, c. 275, §42 (AMD).]
7.  Purchasing agent.  Shall act as purchasing agent for all departments, except the school department, except that the town or the select board may require that all purchases greater than a designated amount must be submitted to sealed bid;  
[PL 2021, c. 275, §42 (AMD).]
8.  Attend meetings of select board.  Shall attend all meetings of the select board, and the town manager may attend meetings when the manager's removal is being considered;  
[PL 2021, c. 275, §42 (AMD).]
9.  Make recommendations.  Shall make recommendations to the select board for the more efficient operation of the town;  
[PL 2021, c. 275, §42 (AMD).]
10.  Attend town meetings.  Shall attend all town meetings and hearings;  
[PL 1987, c. 737, Pt. A, §2 (NEW); PL 1987, c. 737, Pt. C, §106 (NEW); PL 1989, c. 6 (AMD); PL 1989, c. 9, §2 (AMD); PL 1989, c. 104, Pt. C, §§8, 10 (AMD).]
11.  Inform of financial condition.  Shall keep the select board and the residents of the town informed as to the town's financial condition;  
[PL 2021, c. 275, §42 (AMD).]
12.  Collect data.  Shall collect data necessary to prepare the budget;  
[PL 1987, c. 737, Pt. A, §2 (NEW); PL 1987, c. 737, Pt. C, §106 (NEW); PL 1989, c. 6 (AMD); PL 1989, c. 9, §2 (AMD); PL 1989, c. 104, Pt. C, §§8, 10 (AMD).]
13.  Assist residents.  Shall assist, insofar as possible, residents and taxpayers in discovering their lawful remedies in cases involving complaints of unfair vendor, administrative and governmental practices; and  
[PL 1987, c. 737, Pt. A, §2 (NEW); PL 1987, c. 737, Pt. C, §106 (NEW); PL 1989, c. 6 (AMD); PL 1989, c. 9, §2 (AMD); PL 1989, c. 104, Pt. C, §§8, 10 (AMD).]
14.  Remove appointments.  Has exclusive authority to remove for cause, after notice and hearing, all persons whom the manager is authorized to appoint and report all removals to the select board.  
[PL 2021, c. 275, §42 (AMD).]
SECTION HISTORY
PL 1987, c. 737, §§A2,C106 (NEW). PL 1989, c. 6 (AMD). PL 1989, c. 9, §2 (AMD). PL 1989, c. 104, §§C8,10 (AMD). PL 2021, c. 275, §42 (AMD).
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Notes of Decisions
Cited in 11 cases, 1990–2019 · leading case: Gove v. Carter, 2001 ME 126 (Me. 2001).
Sort: Relevance Newest Treatment
Gove v. Carter, 2001 ME 126 (Me. 2001). · cites it 2× “§ 8111(1): 30-A M.R.S.A. § 2636 (1996). As a rule of statutory interpretation, we look first to the plain language of the statute for the Legislature’s intent.”
Farley v. Town of Washburn, 1997 ME 218 (Me. 1997). · cites it 2× “Title 30-A M.R.S.A. § 2636 provides in part; The town manager: 6.”
Ryan v. Town of Camden, 582 A.2d 973 (Me. 1990). “737 (effective March 1, 1989) and replaced by 30-A M.R.S.A. § 2636 (Supp.1989). Both statutes provide that, "[ujnless otherwise provided by town ordinance,” the town manager "shall appoint, supervise and control all town officials.”
Barrera v. Town of Brownville, 139 F. Supp. 2d 136 (D. Me. 2001). · cites it 3× “Plaintiff cites 30-A M.R.S.A § 2636(14) as a statutory basis for finding that Barrera had a property interest in his continued employment with the Town.”
Learnard v. Inhabitants of Town of Van Buren, 164 F. Supp. 2d 35 (D. Me. 2001). “¶ 5 (citing 30-A M.R.S.A. § 2636) (Docket # 1).) This provision of Maine law establishes that town managers have "exclusive authority to remove for cause, after notice and hearing," town employees.”
Guimond v. City of Eastport (Me. Super. Ct 2019). · cites it 3× “Abbott’s discretionary authority to respond to media requests, that she nonetheless had an obligation to be “fair and objective” in sharing public information.”
McSorley v. Inhabs. of the Town of Carmel (Me. Super. Ct 2001). · cites it 2× “Count Ill - Maine Whistleblowers’ Protection Act McSorley next claims that the town retaliated against her because she insisted the Selectmen were overstepping her statutory authority 21 pursuant to 30-A M.R.S.A. § 2636 in violation of the Maine Whistleblowers’ Protection Act.”
Budge v. Town of Millinocket (Me. Super. Ct 2011). · cites it 2× “In accordance with 30-A M.R.S.A. § 2636, the town manager is the chief executive and administrative official of the town responsible for administration of all departments in regards to the ordinances of the town, and may serve as head of any department, appoint department heads,…”
Town of Searsport v. State of Maine (Me. Super. Ct 2017). “30-A M.R.S. § 2636(5). The MLRB has interpreted Section 962(6)(D) to require that the primary function of a position excepted pursuant to Section 962(6)(D) be managerial or administrative, not solely supervisory.”
Town of Topsham v. Local S/89 Dist. Lodge 4 (Me. Super. Ct 2003). “” 30-A M.R.S.A. § 2636(5). On March 4, 2001, the Town filed an Amended Petition for Unit Clarification with the MLRB seeking a determination that the positions of Town Clerk, Tax Collector, Planning Director and Fire Chief could not be included in a unit of supervisors…”
Webber v. Town of Ogunquit (Me. Super. Ct 2015). “" 30-A M.R.S. § 2636; Ogunquit, Me., Town Charter § 405.”
— Me. Rev. Stat. tit. 30-A, § 2636(1) — 1 case
Guimond v. City of Eastport (Me. Super. Ct 2019). “Abbott’s discretionary authority to respond to media requests, that she nonetheless had an obligation to be “fair and objective” in sharing public information.”
— Me. Rev. Stat. tit. 30-A, § 2636(14) — 1 case
Barrera v. Town of Brownville, 139 F. Supp. 2d 136 (D. Me. 2001). “Plaintiff cites 30-A M.R.S.A § 2636(14) as a statutory basis for finding that Barrera had a property interest in his continued employment with the Town.”
— Me. Rev. Stat. tit. 30-A, § 2636(5) — 2 cases
Town of Searsport v. State of Maine (Me. Super. Ct 2017). “30-A M.R.S. § 2636(5). The MLRB has interpreted Section 962(6)(D) to require that the primary function of a position excepted pursuant to Section 962(6)(D) be managerial or administrative, not solely supervisory.”
Town of Topsham v. Local S/89 Dist. Lodge 4 (Me. Super. Ct 2003). “” 30-A M.R.S.A. § 2636(5). On March 4, 2001, the Town filed an Amended Petition for Unit Clarification with the MLRB seeking a determination that the positions of Town Clerk, Tax Collector, Planning Director and Fire Chief could not be included in a unit of supervisors…”
— Me. Rev. Stat. tit. 30-A, § 2636(6) — 2 cases
Farley v. Town of Washburn, 1997 ME 218 (Me. 1997). “Title 30-A M.R.S.A. § 2636 provides in part; The town manager: 6.”
Barrera v. Town of Brownville, 139 F. Supp. 2d 136 (D. Me. 2001). “Plaintiff cites 30-A M.R.S.A § 2636(14) as a statutory basis for finding that Barrera had a property interest in his continued employment with the Town.”
Annotations are extracted automatically from the opinions in the Syfert caselaw corpus and ranked by authority, recency, and treatment. Dots show Syfertize treatment of the citing case itself.