Kingston — The select board moved to withdraw Article 21, which would have rescinded a 1995 warrant article requiring voter approval for any new permanent full-time or part-time town position; the board’s motion to withdraw carried unanimously.

The discussion recounted the 1995 warrant article’s history and how the town has treated it as a procedural direction to the budget committee for decades. Some board members and the budget committee argued the requirement was advisory and that changes in state law and guidance from the New Hampshire Municipal Association (NHMA) give the select board statutory authority to create permanent positions without a separate warrant article.

Others on the board and the budget committee said the old practice gave voters direct visibility into new positions and their tax impacts; they warned that removing the requirement could reduce public transparency and make it easier to add staff through budget-line adjustments without a standalone voter decision. One speaker suggested that creating several new positions in a single year could be politically unwise even if legally permissible.

Several speakers said attorney advice and NHMA guidance informed the board’s decision; the board’s view, as expressed in the meeting, was that the 1995 provision is advisory and that the select board has statutory hiring authority under state law. Nonetheless, participants agreed that funds for new positions must still pass through the budget process and be reviewed by the budget committee.

Motion and vote: A board member moved to withdraw Article 21; the motion was seconded and passed by unanimous voice vote in the meeting transcript.

Impact: With the withdrawal, the select board will not pursue rescission on the warrant at this town-meeting cycle. The broader policy question of how and when voters should see new permanent positions was left for further policy discussion and for future budget cycles.