Town Council, Durham, NH

About the Town Council

The Town of Durham operates under the Town Council form of government, according to the Town Charter (see Article 3) adopted at the 1987 Town Meeting. Registered voters vote the Council in for a term of three years, and each year three seats are open for re-election.

Eligibility for Membership
To be eligible to run for Durham Town Council, a candidate must:

1. Be a registered voter in Durham, NH
   – Only registered voters of the Town are eligible to hold office.
   – Candidates must meet New Hampshire voter registration requirements (U.S. citizenship and at least 18 years old by election day).
2. Be at least 18 years old by election day.
3. Meet the residency requirement
   – You must have been a resident of Durham for at least 90 days immediately preceding the election and remain a resident throughout your term.
4. Remain a resident for the duration of the term
   – Moving out of Durham during your term makes you ineligible to continue serving.
5. Not be a full-time or regular employee of the Town of Durham.
6. There are no campaign finance restrictions or requirements.

Eligible persons who would like to run for Town Council must submit in person a Declaration of Candidacy Form (see below) with the Town Clerk's Office during a specified filing period at the end of January.  Town Council elections take place on the second Monday of March and are nonpartisan; party affiliation does not appear on the ballot.  Newly elected Councilors take office on the Monday in March following the election.

The Town Council approves all ordinances, resolutions, policies, and the yearly budget. The Town Council also appoints people to the various Boards and Committees. Councilors are also required to assist at all Durham elections. This includes signing and witnessing ballot box security procedures, being present for the opening of the polls, and attending the close.

Meeting details 

The Town Council meets the first and third Monday night of each month unless otherwise specified in advance. All meetings are open to the public and are held at the Durham Town Hall, 8 Newmarket Road, in the Town Council Chambers, unless otherwise announced. The meetings start at 7:00 p.m. and are broadcast live on DCAT (Channel 22) and on DCAT on Demand. Agendas and minutes are posted on the Town website. 

Members of the public, whether Durham residents or not, are welcome to address the Council during the Public Comments period. Guests may speak on any topic. They are, however, asked to limit their comments to no more than 5 minutes and to observe appropriate public meeting decorum.

Periodically the Council holds Public Hearings on specific issues. These hearings are often scheduled later in the evening. If you wish to speak at a Public Hearing but cannot stay late enough to do so at the scheduled time (for example, if you are providing child care or cannot drive late at night), you may address the issue during the Public Comment period.