Who’s In Charge Here Anyway?

Do you ever wonder why you often hear your town officials citing RSA’s (state laws)? Contrary to popular belief, New Hampshire is not a home rule state. Our motto may be “Live free or die,” but New Hampshire’s Constitution does not grant any power directly to towns and cities.

In New Hampshire, towns and cities are political subdivisions of the state. So are village districts, school districts, and counties. Our municipalities only have the authority to act if the state legislature gives it to them through a statute. This means that when a town, local board, or official wants to take a certain action, they must find a law that grants them that authority. Everything from the town budget to property taxes is based on state law. This applies to all towns, school districts, and village districts that adopt budgets at an annual meeting. Some statutes are very narrow and grant limited authority and others provide a broad grant of authority.

The need for authority from the state legislature provides checks and balances that are important to government. So, your local officials are in charge, but their actions are authorized by state statutes.