Title 24APPENDIX, Title 24APPENDIX: Municipal Charters

§ 102. General powers; law Except as modified by the provisions of this charter, or by any lawful regulation or ordinance of the City of Essex Junction, all provisions of the statutes of this State applicable to municipal corporations shall apply to the City of Essex Junction. (A…

§ 103. Specific powers (a) The City of Essex Junction shall have all the powers granted to cities and municipal corporations by the Constitution and laws of this State together with all the implied powers necessary to carry into execution all the powers granted, and it may enact …

§ 104. Reservation of powers Nothing in this charter shall be so construed as in any way to limit the powers and functions conferred upon the City of Essex Junction and the City Council by general or special enactments in force or effect or hereafter enacted, and the powers and f…

§ 105. Form of government The municipal government provided by this charter shall be known as council-manager form of government. Pursuant to its provisions and subject only to the limitations imposed by the State Constitution and by this charter, all powers of the City of Essex …

§ 1101. Capital programs (a) Preparation of capital program. The Manager shall prepare and submit to the Council a capital program at least three months prior to the final date for submission of the budget. (b) Contents. The capital program shall include: (1) a clear general summ…

§ 1201. Governing law This charter may be amended in accordance with the procedure provided for by State statutes for amendment of municipal charters. (Added 2021, No. M-10 (Adj. Sess.), § 2, eff. July 1, 2022.)

§ 1301. Savings clause Repeal or modification of this charter shall not affect the validity of a previously enacted ordinance, resolution, or bylaw. (Added 2021, No. M-10 (Adj. Sess.), § 2, eff. July 1, 2022.)

§ 1302. Severability The provisions of this charter are declared to be severable. If any provisions of this charter are for any reason invalid, such invalidity shall not affect the remaining provisions, which can be given effect without the invalid provision. (Added 2021, No. M-1…

§ 1303. Superseding language The City of Essex Junction shall be formed notwithstanding the following language (“Notwithstanding the provisions of any other municipal charters, territory within the corporate limits [of the Town of Essex] shall not be annexed to or become a part o…

§ 201. Powers and duties of governing body (a) The members of the City of Essex Junction City Council shall constitute the legislative body of the City of Essex Junction for all purposes required by statute and, except as otherwise provided in this charter, shall have all the pow…

§ 202. Governing body; composition and terms of office (a) There shall be a City Council consisting of five members. (b) All members shall reside within the boundaries of the City of Essex Junction to be elected by the qualified voters. (c) The term of office of a City Councilor …

§ 203. Vacancy in office In case of a vacancy of a Council seat, the vacancy shall be filled by the City Council until the next annual election pursuant to subsection 204(c) of this charter. (Added 2021, No. M-10 (Adj. Sess.), § 2, eff. July 1, 2022.)

§ 204. Election of governing body officers (a) The terms of the officers shall commence on the first day of the month following the month of election. At the first meeting of the month following the annual City meeting, the Council shall organize and elect a President, Vice Presi…

§ 205. Compensation (a) Compensation paid to the Council members shall be set by the voters at the annual meeting, with a minimum of $1,500.00 a year each. Council members’ compensation must be set forth as a separate item in the annual budget presented to the meeting. Council me…

§ 206. Conflict of interest; prohibitions (a) Holding other office. No Council member shall hold any City employment during the term for which they were elected to the Council, unless allowed by State statute. A Council member may be appointed to represent the City on other board…

§ 207. Governing body; meetings As soon as possible after the election of the President and Vice President, the Council shall fix the time and place of its regular meetings, and such meetings shall be held at least once a month. (Added 2021, No. M-10 (Adj. Sess.), § 2, eff. July …

§ 208. Special City meetings Special City meetings shall be called in the manner provided by the laws of the State, and the voting on all questions shall be by the Australian ballot system. (Added 2021, No. M-10 (Adj. Sess.), § 2, eff. July 1, 2022.)

§ 209. Council meetings; procedure (a) The Council shall determine its own rules and order of business. (b) The presence of three members shall constitute a quorum. Three affirmative votes shall be necessary to take binding Council action. (c) In accordance with Vermont’s Open Me…

§ 210. Appointments The Council shall have the power to appoint the members of all boards, commissions, committees, or similar bodies unless specifically provided otherwise by this charter. The terms of all appointments shall commence on the day after the day of appointment unles…

§ 211. Additional governing body provisions (a) No claim for personal services shall be allowed to the officers elected at the annual meeting, except when compensation for such services is provided for under the provisions of this charter or by the general law. (b) The Council ma…

§ 301. Brownell Library Trustees There shall be a five-member Board of Library Trustees who shall be elected to five-year terms using the Australian ballot system. Only qualified voters of the City of Essex Junction shall be eligible to hold the office of elected library trustee.…

§ 302. Moderator The Council shall appoint a Moderator who shall preside at the next City Informational Meeting. The term of Moderator shall be one year. Only qualified voters of the City of Essex Junction shall be eligible to hold the office of Moderator. (Added 2021, No. M-10 (…

§ 401. City meetings and elections (a) Annually on or before January 1, the Council shall set the date of the next annual meeting, at which time the voters shall vote for the election of officers, the voting on the City budget, and any other business included in the warnings for …

§ 501. Adoption of ordinances Ordinances shall be adopted in accordance with State law pursuant to 24 V.S.A. §§ 1972–1976, with the additional requirements noted in this subchapter. (Added 2021, No. M-10 (Adj. Sess.), § 2, eff. July 1, 2022.)

§ 502. Public hearing (a) The Council shall hold a minimum of one public hearing prior to the adoption of any ordinance. (b) At the time and place so advertised, or at any time and place to which the hearing may from time to time be adjourned, the ordinance shall be introduced, a…

§ 503. Effective date Every ordinance shall become effective upon passage unless otherwise specified. (Added 2021, No. M-10 (Adj. Sess.), § 2, eff. July 1, 2022.)

§ 504. Rescission of ordinances All ordinances shall be subject to rescission by a special or annual City meeting, as follows: If, within 44 days after final passage by the Council of any such ordinance, a petition signed by voters of the City not less in number than five percent…

§ 505. Petition for enactment of ordinance; special meeting (a) Voters of the City may at any time petition for the enactment of any proposed lawful ordinance by filing the petition, including the text of the ordinance, with the City Clerk. The Council shall call a special City m…

§ 601. Manager; appointment and hiring The Council shall appoint a City Manager under and in accordance with Vermont Statutes Annotated. (Added 2021, No. M-10 (Adj. Sess.), § 2, eff. July 1, 2022.)

§ 602. Powers of Manager (a) The Manager shall be the chief administrative officer of the City of Essex Junction. The Manager shall be responsible to the Council for the administration of all City of Essex Junction affairs placed in the Manager’s charge by or under this charter. …

§ 603. Manager; removal; hearing The Council may remove the Manager from office for cause in accordance with the following procedures: (1) The Council shall adopt by affirmative vote of a majority of all its members a preliminary resolution that must state the reasons for removal…

§ 604. Vacancy in office of City Manager The Manager, by letter filed with the City Clerk, may appoint a staff member to perform the Manager’s duties in the event of the Manager’s absence due to disability, incapacitation, or vacation unless the Manager has previously appointed a…

§ 701. Board of Civil Authority The Board of Civil Authority shall be defined by 17 VSA § 2103(5). (Added 2021, No. M-10 (Adj. Sess.), § 2, eff. July 1, 2022.)

§ 702. Board of Abatement of Taxes The Board of Civil Authority shall constitute a Board of Abatement as provided by law. The Board of Abatement shall meet and discharge its duties as required by the applicable statutory provisions. (Added 2021, No. M-10 (Adj. Sess.), § 2, eff. J…

§ 703. Planning Commission There shall be a Planning Commission, and its powers, obligations, and operation shall be under and in accordance with Vermont Statutes Annotated, as amended, and members will be appointed by the City Council from among the qualified voters of the City.…

§ 704. Development Review Board A Development Review Board shall be established, and its powers, obligations, and operation shall be under and in accordance with Vermont Statutes Annotated, as amended, and members will be appointed by the City Council for terms of three years fro…

§ 705. Brownell Library Trustees The Brownell Library Board of Library Trustees that holds office at the time of enactment of this charter shall serve until their terms are completed. Any existing policies of the Library Trustees at the time of the enactment of this charter shall…

§ 801. Personnel administration and benefits (a) The Manager or the Manager’s appointee shall be the personnel director. The Manager shall maintain personnel rules and regulations protecting the interests of the City and of the employees. These rules and regulations must be appro…

§ 802. Real estate assessor There shall be either a real estate Assessor who is a certified real estate appraiser or an independent appraisal firm, headed by a certified real estate appraiser, appointed by the Manager that shall carry out the duties of assessor in the same manner…

§ 803. Appraisal of property Appraisals shall be reviewed periodically and kept up to date. (Added 2021, No. M-10 (Adj. Sess.), § 2, eff. July 1, 2022.)

§ 804. Appraisal of business property for tax purposes Appraisal of business personal property shall be in accordance with the provisions of 32 V.S.A. § 3618, as the same may from time to time be amended, provided that all business personal property acquired by a taxpayer after S…

§ 805. Purpose The purpose of appointing an Assessor is in lieu of the election of listers. The City shall be governed by, and each taxpayer shall have rights granted by, the applicable State statutes concerning real and personal property taxation, appeal therefrom, and other sta…

§ 901. Fiscal year The fiscal year of the City shall begin on the first day of July and end on the last day of June of each calendar year. The fiscal year shall constitute the budget and accounting year as used in this charter. (Added 2021, No. M-10 (Adj. Sess.), § 2, eff. July 1…

§ 902. Annual municipal budget With support from the finance department, the Manager shall submit to the Council a budget for review before the annual City Meeting or at such previous time as may be directed by the Council. The budget shall contain: (1) an estimate of the financi…

§ 903. Governing body’s action on budget The Council shall review and approve the recommended budget with or without change. The budget shall be published not later than two weeks after its preliminary adoption by the Council. The Council shall fix the time and place for holding …

§ 904. Budget meeting; warning (a) The Council shall hold at least one public hearing at least 30 days prior to the annual meeting to present and explain its proposed budget and shall give a public notice of such hearing. (b) The Manager shall, not less than 30 days prior to the …