Title 24APPENDIX, Title 24APPENDIX: Municipal Charters

§ 203. Compensation (a) Compensation paid to the Select Board members shall be set by the voters at Town meeting. (b) Subject to subsection (a) of this section, the Select Board shall fix the compensation of all elective officers and of all officers appointed by the Select Board.…

§ 204. Offices abolished The Office of Fence Viewer; Inspector of Lumber, Shingles, and Wood; Second Constable; and Weigher of Coal are all hereby abolished. Except as otherwise provided in this charter, the Town Manager or his or her designee shall exercise the powers, duties, a…

§ 205. Recall Any Town officer, as defined by 17 V.S.A. § 2646, may be recalled by the following process: (1) A petition shall be filed with the Town Clerk signed by not less than 25 percent of the number of registered voters at the time the petition is submitted. (2) The petitio…

§ 301. Select Board; legislative body The Select Board shall constitute the legislative body of the Town and shall have all powers and authority necessary for the performance of the legislative function. (Added 2023, No. M-27 (Adj. Sess.), § 2, eff. May 30, 2024.)

§ 302. Additional powers of the Select Board In addition to powers otherwise conferred by law, the Select Board is authorized to adopt, amend, repeal, and enforce ordinances: (1) regulating the parking and operation of motor vehicles, including, in accordance with any other provi…

§ 303. Further powers of the Select Board In addition to powers otherwise conferred by law, the Select Board members shall also have the power to: (1) create, consolidate, or dissolve departments as necessary or relevant for the performance of municipal services; (2) create, cons…

§ 304. Organization of the Select Board (a) Forthwith after the annual meeting of the town, the Select Board members shall organize and elect a Chair and Vice Chair. (b) The Chair of the Board, or in the Chair’s absence, the Vice Chair, shall preside at all meetings of the Board …

§ 401. Appointed by the Select Board The Select Board members shall appoint a Town Manager for an indefinite term and upon such conditions as they may determine. (Added 2023, No. M-27 (Adj. Sess.), § 2, eff. May 30, 2024.)

§ 402. Town Manager nonpartisan (a) The Town’s interests in preserving integrity and efficiency in the execution and management of its government are best served by a Town Manager who is prohibited from the fact and appearance of political partisanship in the operation of the off…

§ 403. Oath and bond Before entering upon the Manager’s duties, the Town Manager shall be sworn to the faithful performance of the Manager’s duties by the Town Clerk and shall be bonded in an amount and with sureties as the Select Board may require. (Added 2023, No. M-27 (Adj. Se…

§ 404. Duties for Manager (a) The Town Manager shall be the Chief Executive Officer of the Town and shall: (1) Carry out the policies established by the Select Board, to whom the Town Manager shall be accountable. (2) Attend all meetings of the Select Board, except when the Manag…

§ 405. Compensation The Town Manager shall receive such compensation as may be fixed by the Select Board. (Added 2023, No. M-27 (Adj. Sess.), § 2, eff. May 30, 2024.)

§ 406. Appointments Except for those appointments made by the Select Board as provided for in this charter, the Town Manager shall appoint and remove all Town employees, including Chief of the Fire Department, Chief of Police, Director of Public Works, Assistant Town Manager, Fin…

§ 407. Removal of the Town Manager (a) The Town Manager may be removed from office for cause, by a majority vote of the Select Board at a duly warned meeting for that purpose, as provided by general law or employment contract. At least 30 days prior to the effective date of the r…

§ 501. Taxes Taxes shall be assessed by the Town based on the fair market value of real property, in accordance with State law. (Added 2023, No. M-27 (Adj. Sess.), § 2, eff. May 30, 2024.)

§ 502. Fair market value of real estate (a) In the event that the fair market value of real estate is materially changed because of total or partial destruction of or damage to the property or because of alterations, additions, or other capital improvements, the taxpayer may appe…

§ 503. Special assessments Despite any contrary provision in general law, the Select Board may in its sole discretion make a special assessment upon real estate for the installation or construction of a public improvement, the special assessment to be the proportion of the total …

§ 504. Creation of St. Johnsbury downtown district There is hereby created in the Town of St. Johnsbury a special district to be known as the St. Johnsbury Downtown Improvement District which shall be that area set forth on a map approved by the voters of St. Johnsbury and filed …

§ 505. Downtown district; purpose and powers (a) The District is created for the general purpose of maintaining and improving the economic, social, cultural, and environmental vitality and quality of the Town of St. Johnsbury, in particular, the District created by section 506 of…

§ 506. Downtown district; annual budget The Town Manager shall submit each year an operating budget of anticipated expenditures and revenues to the Select Board for approval for the next fiscal year. In the event the Select Board does not approve the budget as submitted, the Sele…

§ 507. Downtown district; taxes (a) District taxes are charges levied upon the owners of taxable properties located in the District, excepting properties used exclusively for residential purposes, which taxes shall be used to defray the expenses incurred in connection with the op…

§ 508. Assets transferred; liabilities; taxation; special services (a) All assets of the Village of St. Johnsbury on the date 1957 Acts and Resolved No. 345, as amended, becomes effective shall become the property of the Town of St. Johnsbury, except that those assets shall be su…

§ 601. Town powers The Town may make, alter, and repeal ordinances relating to management, operation, maintenance, replacement, and extension of a Town water and wastewater system and may fix, and from time to time alter, water and wastewater rates. (Added 2023, No. M-27 (Adj. Se…

§ 701. Charter Review Committee At least once every five years, the Select Board shall appoint a Charter Review Committee of not fewer than five nor more than nine members from among the residents of the Town. The Committee shall review the charter and recommend any changes it fi…

§ 702. Merger of Village and Town The Village of St. Johnsbury and the Town of St. Johnsbury are hereby consolidated and merged, and the Village of St. Johnsbury shall, except as hereinafter provided, cease to exist as a political entity or body corporate. (Renumbered from 24A V.…

§ 703. Severability If any provision of this charter is for any reason held invalid, such invalidity shall not affect the remaining provisions that can be given effect without the invalid provision. To this end, the provisions of this charter are declared to be severable. (Renumb…

§ 704. Preparation of budgets; Australian ballot (a) The Selectboard shall prepare an annual budget for the Town, including a Town annual budget and a former Village District special services budget. The School Director shall prepare an annual School District budget. The annual b…

§ 705. Fire District; process for abolition The St. Johnsbury Center Fire District No. 1 is abolished when a majority of the legal voters of said Fire District present and voting on the question at a regular or special meeting of said Fire District warned for said purpose so vote…

§ 706. Department of Assessment (a) Creation. There is hereby created a Department of Assessment headed by a person experienced in the appraisal of real estate, who shall be appointed by the Town Manager with the approval of the Selectboard. (b) Appraisal of property. The Departm…

§ 707. Appeals A person aggrieved by the final decision of the Department of Assessment under the provisions of section 706 of this charter may appeal in writing under the provisions of 32 V.S.A. chapter 131. (Added 2005, No. M-14 (Adj. Sess.), § 6; renumbered from 24A V.S.A. § 1…