ATKINSON - Town Administrator Russell McAllister could be out of a job in March.
A citizens petition calls for the elimination of the town administrator's post and a return to a selectmen's clerk. It was submitted by Leon Artus and his Atkinson Taxpayers For Fair Evaluations Committee.
"I had filed a complaint against him because he wasn't forthcoming with information," Artus said. "He set up a hostile work environment. He isn't bearing his load or earning his money."
Voters approved establishing the administrator's job in 2004.
McAllister earned $62,005 in 2006. The warrant article proposes paying the selectmen's clerk $48,000 a year to start. If passed, the article would eliminate McAllister's job within 30 days.
But McAllister said yesterday it might not take voter approval to get him out.
"It's a double-edged sword," he said. "When you go after someone, who says they'll stay?"
McAllister said he was sorry he upset Artus by doing his job, but he probably hasn't upset enough people to have the warrant article go anywhere.
"Let them vote me off the island," he said. "When they disagree with someone else, they can vote them off, too. Everyone has to do their job, and sometimes that makes people angry."
Artus, however, said he submitted the petition because McAllister isn't doing his job. He said he submitted a right-to-know request and McAllister told him he'd have to "set up (his own) generator to provide power to scan all the documents."
There are a number of things McAllister isn't doing and it's costing the town money, Artus said. He wouldn't specify what those tasks were, saying he was saving it for the deliberative session.
That's a day to which McAllister also is looking forward to. He said he plans to "demand some respect" publicly.
Selectmen's Chairman Jack Sapia said he believes the town administrator position is necessary and requires someone with a range of expertise.
"I know the residents will look at that from a common sense perspective," he said. "I would ask the residents to ask themselves, what was the motivating factor for this warrant article. Is it personal in nature? Would it be best for one person or would it be best for the town?"
A citizens petition calls for the elimination of the town administrator's post and a return to a selectmen's clerk. It was submitted by Leon Artus and his Atkinson Taxpayers For Fair Evaluations Committee.
"I had filed a complaint against him because he wasn't forthcoming with information," Artus said. "He set up a hostile work environment. He isn't bearing his load or earning his money."
Voters approved establishing the administrator's job in 2004.
McAllister earned $62,005 in 2006. The warrant article proposes paying the selectmen's clerk $48,000 a year to start. If passed, the article would eliminate McAllister's job within 30 days.
But McAllister said yesterday it might not take voter approval to get him out.
"It's a double-edged sword," he said. "When you go after someone, who says they'll stay?"
McAllister said he was sorry he upset Artus by doing his job, but he probably hasn't upset enough people to have the warrant article go anywhere.
"Let them vote me off the island," he said. "When they disagree with someone else, they can vote them off, too. Everyone has to do their job, and sometimes that makes people angry."
Artus, however, said he submitted the petition because McAllister isn't doing his job. He said he submitted a right-to-know request and McAllister told him he'd have to "set up (his own) generator to provide power to scan all the documents."
There are a number of things McAllister isn't doing and it's costing the town money, Artus said. He wouldn't specify what those tasks were, saying he was saving it for the deliberative session.
That's a day to which McAllister also is looking forward to. He said he plans to "demand some respect" publicly.
Selectmen's Chairman Jack Sapia said he believes the town administrator position is necessary and requires someone with a range of expertise.
"I know the residents will look at that from a common sense perspective," he said. "I would ask the residents to ask themselves, what was the motivating factor for this warrant article. Is it personal in nature? Would it be best for one person or would it be best for the town?"
The Atkinson Taxpayers for Fair Evaluations submitted three other warrant articles, Artus said. Those include requiring tax cards be mailed to residents' homes once a year and at any point a change is made on them, he said.
Another group, the Atkinson Taxpayers Association, also submitted two warrant articles. Artus is the only local member of that group who will speak openly.
Ed Naile, the group's state spokesman, had said earlier the association was going to propose an article to get rid of the police chief. But neither warrant article addresses the chief.
One would prohibit the selectmen from using tax money to pay personal legal fees. The other would require them to auction any municipal property that is no longer wanted.
Probe Begins After Conn. Commuter Trains Crash
NTSB Begins Investigation Into Conn. Train Crash
Lotto Fever Sweeps the Country
Conn. Commuter Trains Collide; 60 Go to Hospital
Coffee Run Leads to Hatchet Hitchhiker Arrest
Fmr. IRS Head Insists No Politics in Targeting
CDC: Fecal Bacteria Common in Swimming Pools
$1 Million in Jewels Stolen at Cannes Film Fest
NM Mom Chases Down Child Abductor
Raw: Crash Sends Car Into Fla. Pool
Raw: Obama Sits Down With Elementary Kids
Raw: Bear Falls From Tampa Tree
Ousted IRS Chief: Errors Not Caused by Politics
Terror Suspect Due in Court in Idaho Friday
Raw: Driver Ejected From Truck, Over Bridge
Could Tobacco Be the Next Biofuel?
Wash. State Releases Draft Rules for Legal Pot
Dying Man's Blinks Lead to Murder Conviction
Officials: Texas Tornado Likely Had 200 Mph Wind
Brothers Arrested in NOLA Parade Shooting
