Title 24APPENDIX, Title 24APPENDIX: Municipal Charters

§ 104. Form of government The municipal government provided by this charter shall be known as council-manager form of government. Pursuant to these provisions and subject only to the limitations imposed by the Vermont Constitution and by this charter, all powers of the Town shall…

§ 1101. Postponement and combining of Town meeting (a) The Selectboard may postpone the vote on any question to be voted at a special Town meeting to the annual meeting if such special meeting would fall within 120 days of the annual meeting. (b) If a special Town meeting will fa…

§ 1102. Voting question by Australian ballot The election of Town officers and the consideration of all public questions shall be by Australian ballot at any annual meeting or at any special Town meeting called on motion of the Selectboard or by petition. A public question voted …

§ 1103. Annual meeting; date and time The annual meeting of the Town for the election of officers and other matters shall be held on the first Tuesday in March.

§ 1104. Town report The contents of the Town report shall be the responsibility of the Town Auditors except as otherwise provided for in this charter. The contents of the reports of the School District shall be the responsibility of the Superintendent of Schools and the School Di…

§ 1105. Highway budget Notwithstanding any other provision of general law or this charter to the contrary, annually the Selectboard shall prepare a highway budget with respect to the operation, maintenance, repair, and construction of Town highways, which budget shall be voted up…

§ 1301. Ratification of present flood hazard ordinances The Town of Poultney flood hazard regulations, revised and adopted June 9, 1980, as amended, are hereby ratified and approved, subject to the provisions of 24 V.S.A. chapter 117.

§ 1501. Fiscal year The fiscal year shall commence on the first day of July and end with the last day of June.

§ 1502. Preparation and submission of budget and town report (a) The Town Manager, at least 60 days before the date of the regular annual Town meeting, shall submit to the Selectboard a budget that shall contain: (1) a statement of the financial condition of the Town as of the en…

§ 1503. Appropriations The Town at the annual meeting, or a special meeting called for that purpose, shall adopt a budget that shall include the proposed expenditures of each department for the coming fiscal year, and adoption of a budget at such meeting shall be deemed an approp…

§ 1504. Amount to be raised by taxation Upon approval of the budget under section 1503 of this charter, the amounts stated therein as the amount to be raised by property taxes, reduced by cash surplus from excess collected property taxes, fees, charges, fines, and interest, if an…

§ 1505. Transfers of appropriations At any time within the fiscal year, the Selectboard may transfer funds from single budget line items to other budget line items. A budget line item will be an individual budget item listed on the budget presented to and approved under section 1…

§ 1506. Fees and fines All fines and penalties payable to the Town by reason of any violation of any law, ordinance, or bylaw shall be paid over promptly upon receipt to the Town Treasurer for inclusion in the General Fund of the Town. All fees established by law or ordinance and…

§ 1701. Severability If any provision of this charter is held invalid, the other provisions of the charter shall not be affected thereby.

§§ 1702-1704. [Transitional Provisions]

§ 1705. Amendment of charter This charter may be amended as set forth by the general law of this State.

§§ 1706-1708. [Transitional Provisions]

§ 301. General provisions The officers of the Town of Poultney shall be those provided by law for towns, except as otherwise provided by this charter. Such officers shall have all the powers and duties necessary to carry out the provisions of this charter as well as those provide…

§ 302. Special elective officers In addition to those elective officers provided for by law, the officers elected at the annual Town meeting shall be: (1) one library trustee necessary to fill the vacancy caused by the expiration of the term established in subsection 304(c) of th…

§ 303. Terms of office—Selectboard members (a) There shall be three Selectboard members elected for a staggered term of three years, with only one of these positions vacant in any one year, and two Selectboard members elected for a one-year term. (b) At their first regular meetin…

§ 304. Other elected officers (a) Town Clerk. The Town Clerk shall be elected for a three-year term. (b) Auditors. (1) Three auditors shall be elected, who shall be responsible for a full audit of all Town funds. Such audit shall be required at least once a year and shall verify …

§ 305. Appointed officers (a) The Selectboard may appoint any officers, commissioners, or employees required by the Town’s personnel regulations or this charter. All appointments shall require as a precondition a job description. (b) The Town Manager shall function as the personn…

§ 306. Vacancies of elected and appointed officers (a) When an elected or appointed officer resigns, makes another Town his or her residence, dies, or becomes incapacitated, the office shall become vacant. A person who fills such a vacancy shall serve until his or her predecessor…

§ 307. Oath of office All elected and appointed officials and all police officers of the Town shall before assuming office take, subscribe, and file with the Town Clerk the following oath: “I ________ solemnly swear (or affirm) that I shall faithfully execute the Office of ______…

§ 308. Compensation Salaries of employees and appointed officers of the Town shall be in accordance with a contract negotiated between the Town and an employee or group of employees for a specified term.

§ 501. Powers and duties (a) The members of the Selectboard shall constitute the legislative body of the Town of Poultney for all purposes required by law and shall constitute the Board of Cemetery Commissioners, the Board of Liquor Control Commissioners, and, with the Town Healt…

§ 502. Organization (a) Three Selectboard members shall constitute a quorum. No action of the Board shall be valid or binding unless adopted by the affirmative vote of at least three Selectboard members. In cases where a statute requires a greater number of the Board for an affir…

§ 503. Record of proceedings (a) The Selectboard shall keep an official record of its proceedings. (b) The minutes of each meeting shall be approved by the Selectboard and shall be filed in the Town Clerk’s office. A duly certified copy of such minutes, attesting to the accuracy …

§ 701. Appointed by Selectboard The Selectboard shall appoint a Town Manager whose responsibilities, powers, and terms of employment shall be as provided by general law, except as otherwise provided by this charter.

§ 901. Appointments The Selectboard may appoint and compensate commissions, committees, and employees as needed and delegate incidental powers necessary for the proper functioning thereof as established by law.

§ 902. Fire Department; appointments (a) Fire protection shall be provided by the Town of Poultney Volunteer Fire Department equipment and by the personnel of the Poultney Hose Company #1. (b) The Fire Chief and assistant fire chiefs shall be elected annually by and shall be memb…

§ 903. Police Department; appointments Public safety services shall be provided for the Town in a manner acceptable to the Selectboard.