Derry town administrator vows to quit Rochester panel

DERRY -- After a resident revealed to the Town Council Tuesday night that Town Administrator Gary Stenhouse is holding an elected position in another community, he agreed to resign from the post.

During the public comment period of yesterday's council meeting, John Burtis told the council Stenhouse is violating the town's charter by serving on the Rochester Police Commission.

Burtis said he learned of Stenhouse's position in Rochester after it took several weeks for the town administrator to respond to a Right-to-Know Law request.

The resident questioned how Stenhouse could be properly handling Derry's business if he had perfect attendance at Rochester's monthly commission meetings.

“It seems that we have a part-time police commissioner in Rochester with a perfect attendance record and a town administrator here with a full-time salary and a hit-or-miss attendance record,” Burtis told the council. "Even if Mr. Stenhouse resigns tonight or from his Rochester position, a clear but troubling precedent has been set."

Stenhouse still lives in Rochester, where he was the city manager for nine years before leaving the job in 2002.

Section 8.2 of Derry's charter says the town administrator is not allowed to hold public office unless given permission by a council majority.

"The administrator shall devote full time to the office and shall not hold any other public office, elective or appointive," the charter reads.

Stenhouse, who insisted he told the council he was not planning to resign from the Rochester commission when hired in June, told the council after a 30-minute closed-door session last night that he would quit before reporting to work today.

"I only have one more meeting left so it's not a big deal," said Stenhouse, whose term was to end in January. He did not plan to seek re-election to the post.

Councilor Kevin Coyle told Stenhouse before he agreed to resign that he should have been well-versed in the town's charter and known he was not allowed to hold the position.

"The town charter takes 45 minutes to read," Coyle said before asking Stenhouse to resign from the Rochester commission.

Burtis also questioned why Stenhouse had not yet moved to Derry as required. But Stenhouse said his contract states he does not have to move until July 9.