§ 601. Local health officials

(a) The Commissioner shall appoint, upon recommendation of the selectboard, a local health officer for each town or city, and the Commissioner shall give such officer a certificate of appointment. The Commissioner may appoint one or more deputy local health officers for a town or city upon written request of the local board of health. In case the selectboard neglect or refuse to recommend to the Commissioner a local health officer, the Commissioner after 30 days’ notice in writing to the selectboard shall appoint a local health officer.

(b) With the approval of the Commissioner, towns and cities may combine to form health districts. The towns and cities in such districts, through their selectboards, may recommend to the Commissioner the appointment of a district health officer. They may establish an advisory district board of health and provide for appointment and terms of service of members who shall be representative citizens of the towns in the health district. The district health officer may perform the duties of local health officer in any town or city in the district at any time after written notice to the selectboard. The district health officer, when authorized by the selectboard of each town or city in the health district and with the advice of the district board of health, may employ such persons as may be necessary to assist such officer in carrying on a preventive, protective, and promotional health program in his or her district. Towns in a district may use local tax revenues for the support of the district health officer, advisory board, employees, and programs, and the district board of health may accept grants for those purposes.

(c) The Commissioner may remove a local health officer at any time for cause. Vacancies shall be filled in the same manner as the original appointment was made. (Amended 1959, No. 329 (Adj. Sess.), § 27, eff. March 1, 1961; 1961, No. 39; 1985, No. 267 (Adj. Sess.), § 17.)