Title 24APPENDIX, Title 24APPENDIX: Municipal Charters

§ 1005. Duties of Department The duties and powers of the Department of Real Estate Appraisal shall be the same as those established for listers under the general statutes. (Renumbered from 24A V.S.A. § 117-504 by 2023, No. M-19 (Adj. Sess.), § 3, eff. March 29, 2024.)

§ 101. Corporate existence retained The inhabitants of the Town of Essex, within the corporate limits as now established, shall continue to be a municipal corporation by the name of the Town of Essex. Notwithstanding the provisions of any other municipal charters, territory withi…

§ 102. General law, application Except as modified by the provisions of this charter, or by any lawful regulation or ordinance of the Town of Essex, all provisions of the statutes of this State applicable to towns shall apply to the Town of Essex.

§ 103. Powers of the Town (a) The Town shall have all of the powers granted to towns and municipal corporations by the Constitution and laws of this State; it may enact ordinances, bylaws, and regulations not inconsistent with the Constitution and laws of the State of Vermont or …

§ 105. Ordinances — Method of adoption and enforcement [Renumbered] (Renumbered to 24A V.S.A. § 117-106 by 2023, No. M-19 (Adj. Sess.), § 4, eff. March 29, 2024.)

§ 106. Introduction; first and second readings; public hearing [Renumbered] (Renumbered to 24A V.S.A. § 117-301 by 2023, No. M-19 (Adj. Sess.), § 3, eff. March 29, 2024.)

§ 108. Filing [Renumbered] (Renumbered to 24A V.S.A. § 117-303 by 2023, No. M-19 (Adj. Sess.), § 3, eff. March 29, 2024.)

§ 109. Annual Town report [Renumbered] (Renumbered to 24A V.S.A. § 117-602 by 2023, No. M-19 (Adj. Sess.), § 3, eff. March 29, 2024.)

§ 110. Reservation of powers to the Town [Renumbered] (Renumbered to 24A V.S.A. § 117-105 by 2023, No. M-19 (Adj. Sess.), § 3, eff. March 29, 2024.)

§ 1101. Severability [Renumbered] (Renumbered to 24A V.S.A. § 117-1201 by 2023, No. M-19 (Adj. Sess.), § 3, eff. March 29, 2024.)

§ 1201. 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 that can be given effect without the invalid provision. (Renumbered from 24A V…

§ 201. Officers generally The elected officers of the Town of Essex shall be Selectboard members and Moderator. These officers shall have all the powers and duties necessary to carry out the provisions of this charter as well as those provided by law. The terms of the officers sh…

§ 202. Selectboard — Number, terms of office, election (a) There shall be a Selectboard consisting of five members. (b) The terms of office of Selectboard members shall be for three years. (c) Unless necessary to fill a vacancy, no more than two Selectboard members shall be elect…

§ 203. Organization [Renumbered] (Renumbered to 24A V.S.A. § 117-204 by 2023, No. M-19 (Adj. Sess.), § 3, eff. March 29, 2024.)

§ 204. Meetings [Renumbered] (Renumbered to 24A V.S.A. § 117-205 by 2023, No. M-19 (Adj. Sess.), § 3, eff. March 29, 2024.)

§ 205. Record of proceedings [Renumbered] (Renumbered to 24A V.S.A. § 117-206 by 2023, No. M-19 (Adj. Sess.), § 3, eff. March 29, 2024.)

§ 206. Appointments by Selectboard [Renumbered] (Renumbered to 24A V.S.A. § 117-208 by 2023, No. M-19 (Adj. Sess.), § 5, eff. March 29, 2024.)

§ 207. Jurisdiction over other officers or employees [Renumbered] (Renumbered to 24A V.S.A. § 117-209 by 2023, No. M-19 (Adj. Sess.), § 3, eff. March 29, 2024.)

§ 208. Compensation of Selectboard; appointees [Renumbered] (Renumbered to 24A V.S.A. § 117-203 by 2023, No. M-19 (Adj. Sess.), § 3, eff. March 29, 2024.)

§ 209. Powers and duties [Renumbered] (Renumbered to 24A V.S.A. § 117-207 by 2023, No. M-19 (Adj. Sess.), § 3, eff. March 29, 2024.)

§ 210. Recall of Selectboard members (a) A petition signed by 15 percent of the registered voters of the municipality, based upon the total number of registered voters at the last preceding municipal election, demanding the recall of the Selectboard member or members cited in the…

§ 301. Application of general law [Renumbered] (Renumbered to 24A V.S.A. § 117-601 by 2023, No. M-19 (Adj. Sess.), § 3, eff. March 29, 2024.)

§ 302. Time of holding [Renumbered] (Renumbered to 24A V.S.A. § 117-604 by 2023, No. M-19 (Adj. Sess.), § 3, eff. March 29, 2024.)

§ 303. Budget [Renumbered] (Renumbered to 24A V.S.A. § 117-703 by 2023, No. M-19 (Adj. Sess.), § 3, eff. March 29, 2024.)

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

§ 305. Petition for enactment of ordinance; special meeting (a) Subject to the provisions of section 304 of this charter, voters of the Town may at any time petition in the same manner as in section 304 for the enactment of any proposed lawful ordinance by filing the petition, in…

§ 401. Board established [Renumbered] (Renumbered to 24A V.S.A. § 117-901 by 2023, No. M-19 (Adj. Sess.), § 3, eff. March 29, 2024.)

§ 402. Officials appointed by Manager The Town Manager shall appoint with the approval of the Selectboard Town Clerk, Town Treasurer, Assistant Town Clerk, constables, Grand Juror, Director of Public Works, Police Chief, a Town Agent if the Town Attorney is not a resident of the …

§ 501. Creation of Department [Renumbered] (Renumbered to 24A V.S.A. § 117-1001 by 2023, No. M-19 (Adj. Sess.), § 3, eff. March 29, 2024.)

§ 502. Appraisal of property [Renumbered] (Renumbered to 24A V.S.A. § 117-1003 by 2023, No. M-19 (Adj. Sess.), § 3, eff. March 29, 2024.)

§ 503. Appraisal of business personal property for tax purposes [Renumbered] (Renumbered to 24A V.S.A. § 117-1004 by 2023, No. M-19 (Adj. Sess.), § 3, eff. March 29, 2024.)

§ 504. Duties of Department [Renumbered] (Renumbered to 24A V.S.A. § 117-1005 by 2023, No. M-19 (Adj. Sess.), § 3, eff. March 29, 2024.)

§ 505. Purpose [Renumbered] (Renumbered to 24A V.S.A. § 117-1002 by 2023, No. M-19 (Adj. Sess.), § 3, eff. March 29, 2024.)

§ 601. Appointment of Manager [Renumbered] (Renumbered to 24A V.S.A. § 117-401 by 2023, No. M-19 (Adj. Sess.), § 3, eff. March 29, 2024.)

§ 602. Officials appointed by Manager [Renumbered] (Amended 1999, No. M-1, eff. Jan. 1, 1999; renumbered to 24A V.S.A. § 117-402 by 2023, No. M-19 (Adj. Sess.), § 3, eff. March 29, 2024.)

§ 603. Town meeting warning and budget The proposed budget and the warning for the annual meeting shall be distributed to the legal voters of the Town at least 10 days before the annual meeting. In addition, the Selectboard shall comply with the statutory requirements applicable …

§ 604. Time of holding (a) The annual meeting of legal voters shall be held at 7:30 o’clock in the afternoon of the day specified in 17 V.S.A. § 2640(b) as the same may from time to time be amended and may transact at that time any business not involving voting by Australian ball…

§ 701. Fiscal year The fiscal year of the Town shall begin on the first day of July of each calendar year. The fiscal year shall constitute the budget and accounting year as used in this charter. (Amended 2023, No. M-19 (Adj. Sess.), § 2, eff. March 29, 2024.)

§ 702. Preparation and submission (a) The Town Manager, at least 50 days before annual Town meeting, or at such previous time as the Town Manager may be directed by the Selectboard, shall submit to the Selectboard a budget containing: (1) An estimate of the financial condition of…

§ 703. Town meeting warning and budget [Renumbered] (Renumbered to 24A V.S.A. § 117-603 by 2023, No. M-19 (Adj. Sess.), § 3, eff. March 29, 2024.)

§ 704. Appropriation From the effective date of the budget, the several amounts stated therein, as approved by the annual town meeting, become appropriated to the several agencies and purposes therein named.

§ 705. Amount to be raised by taxation Upon passage of the budget by the annual Town meeting, the amounts stated therein as the amount to be raised by taxes shall constitute a determination of the amount of the levy for the purposes of the Town in the corresponding tax year and t…

§ 707. Transfers of appropriations (a) The Manager may at any time transfer an unencumbered appropriation balance or portion thereof between general classifications of expenditures within an office, department, or agency. (b) At the request of the Manager, the Selectboard may, by…

§ 801. Taxes on real and personal property Taxes on real and personal property shall be paid in two equal payments, with one-half of the annual tax bill for each taxpayer due and payable on September 15 and March 15 of each fiscal year.

§ 802. Penalty An additional charge of eight percent shall be added to any tax not paid on or before the dates specified in section 801 of this charter, and interest as authorized by Vermont statutes.

§ 803. Board of Abatement 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.