Title 24APPENDIX, Title 24APPENDIX: Municipal Charters

§ 3 Appointed officers (a) In addition to all other offices that may be filled by appointment by the Selectboard pursuant to State law or this charter, the Selectboard shall appoint the following Town officers, who shall serve for such terms as the Selectboard may establish in it…

§ 3.1. Powers (a) In addition to the powers granted under this charter, the Town shall have all powers conferred upon towns by the Constitution and laws of the State. Enumeration of particular powers in this charter shall not be construed as limiting the general powers of the Tow…

§ 3.2. Initiative The voters of the Town shall have the power to: (1) Petition for inclusion in the warning of an article to reflect public sentiment and to be advisory only. (A) Such petition, stating that it is advisory only, shall be signed by at least five percent of the vote…

§ 3.4. Referendum The voters of the Town may petition for a referendum, by Australian ballot of all voters of the Town, on a final vote on a warned article taken by Representative Town Meeting. Such petition shall be filed within 10 days after adjournment of the meeting. (1) A pe…

§ 3.5. Recall (a) The voters of the Town may recall any of the elected Town or Town School District officers listed in subchapter 2, section 2.1 of this charter. (b) A recall petition, signed by at least 25 percent of the legal voters of the Town, and bearing their addresses, sha…

§ 4 Separability If any provision of this charter is held invalid, the other provisions of the charter shall not be affected thereby. (Added 2015, No. M-16 (Adj. Sess.), § 2, eff. May 17, 2016.)

§ 4.1. Composition; eligibility; elections; terms (a) The Selectboard shall be elected at large by the voters and youth voters of the Town from among their number, and newly elected Selectboard members’ terms shall begin on the first Monday following the final adjournment of the …

§ 4.2. Compensation The annual Representative Town Meeting shall fix the compensation of the Selectboard. (Amended 2003, No. M-6, § 2; 2011, No. M-10 (Adj. Sess.), § 2, eff. April 27, 2012.)

§ 4.3. Prohibitions (a) Except where authorized by law, a member of the Selectboard shall not be employed by the Town and shall not be a voting member of any committee to which all members are appointed by the Selectboard. A former member of the Selectboard shall not hold any app…

§ 4.4. Vacancies (a) When a member of the Selectboard resigns, is removed from office, ceases to be a resident of the Town, dies, or if his or her name is removed from the checklist, the office shall become vacant. (b) A member of the Selectboard shall forfeit office if qualifica…

§ 4.5. Appointments (a) At the first meeting after their election and qualification, the Selectboard shall elect a Chair, a Vice Chair, and a Clerk. (b) The Chair shall preside at meetings of the Board, shall represent the Town government for ceremonial purposes, but he or she sh…

§ 4.6. General powers, duties, and responsibilities of the Selectboard The Selectboard shall have the general oversight of the affairs and property of the Town not committed by law to the care of any particular officer, including the following powers, duties, and responsibilities…

§ 5.1. General powers; duties; responsibilities of the Town Manager Subject to the provisions of law and under the supervision of the Selectboard, the Town Manager shall have the authority: (1) to cause duties required by law or by the Selectboard or school directors, and not com…

§ 6.1. Composition; eligibility; elections; terms (a) The Board of School Directors shall be elected at large by the voters of the School District from among their number, and newly elected school directors’ terms shall begin on the first Monday following the final adjournment of…

§ 6.2. Compensation The annual Representative Town Meeting shall fix the compensation of the school directors. (Amended 2011, No. M-10 (Adj. Sess.), § 2, eff. April 27, 2012.)

§ 6.3. Prohibitions (a) Except when authorized by law, a school director shall not be employed by the School District and shall not be a voting member of any committee to which all members are appointed by the school directors. No former school director shall hold any appointive …

§ 6.4. Vacancies (a) When a school director resigns, is removed from office, dies, or his or her name is removed from the checklist, the office shall become vacant. (b) A school director shall forfeit his or her office if qualifications for the office prescribed by this charter o…

§ 6.5. Appointments Forthwith after their election and qualification, the School Directors shall elect a Chair, a Vice Chair, and a Clerk. (Amended 2003, No. M-6, § 2.)

§ 6.6. General powers and responsibilities of the School Directors The School Directors are responsible for the administration and maintenance of the public schools and, in addition to other duties specifically assigned by law (See 16 V.S.A. § 563), shall: (1) determine the educa…

§ 7.1. Capital expenditures (a) The Selectboard and the school directors shall submit to the annual Representative Town Meeting a list of possible capital expenditures for the next five years for the guidance and information of Representative Town Meeting, which shall not be bind…

§ 7.2. Capital Grant Review Board A Capital Grant Review Board shall be established to study and evaluate all requests made on behalf of the Town or its boards for grants or loans for capital expenditures. The Board shall consist of two representatives appointed annually by the S…

§ 7.3. Revenue (a) The Town may levy local taxes in such form as authorized by the General Assembly. Any such taxes must first be considered by the Selectboard or the school directors and then approved by the Representative Town Meeting. (b) Special tax districts, for the purpose…

§ 7.4. Reappraisal of property Taxable property within the Town may be reappraised from time to time as may be deemed expedient by the Representative Town Meeting on recommendation of the Selectboard when advised by the Board of Listers that the State Division of Property Valuati…

§ 7.5. Lapse of appropriation Every appropriation, except for a capital expenditure, shall lapse at the close of the fiscal year following the appropriation to the extent it has not been expended or encumbered. An appropriation for a capital expenditure shall not lapse until its …

§ 7.6. Independent audit The Selectboard and the school directors shall provide for an independent audit of all Town and Town School District accounts when necessary or as directed by Representative Town Meeting. Such audit shall be made by a certified public accountant or firm o…

§ 7.7. Borrowing in anticipation of taxes The Selectboard and the school directors may borrow money, at the most favorable rate of interest they can obtain, in anticipation of Town and School District revenues to be collected within the fiscal year. (Amended 2003, No. M-6, § 2.)

§ 7.8. Office of Assessment (a) Taxable property within the Town may be reappraised from time to time as may be deemed expedient by the Representative Town Meeting pursuant to a duly warned article. (b) There shall be an Office of Assessment headed by a professionally qualified a…

§ 8.1. Charter amendments This charter may be amended: (1) In the manner provided by 17 V.S.A. § 2645; or (2) By the Selectboard or the school directors, pursuant to vote by the voters of the Town, by Australian ballot, and subject to approval of the Legislature; or (3) By resolu…

§§ 9.1-9.3. [Transitional provisions.]

§ 1 Corporate existence retained (a) Pursuant to the authority granted by the General Assembly, there is hereby enacted a charter to govern the organization and operation of local government in the Town of Calais. (b) The inhabitants of the Town of Calais, within the geographical…

§§ 101-103. [Transitional provisions related to the merger of the Village and Town]

§ 2 General Law; application (a) The Town of Calais shall have all powers granted to towns and municipal corporations by the Constitution and laws of this State and this charter, together with all the implied powers necessary to carry into execution all the powers therein granted…

§ 201. Applicability of the general law Except when changed, enlarged, or modified by these charter provisions, the Town of Bristol shall have all the powers granted to towns by the Constitution and general laws of the State of Vermont, together with all the implied powers necess…

§ 3 Treasurer The Selectboard shall annually appoint a Town Treasurer who shall perform all the duties of town treasurers as required by State statute and those additional duties specified by the Selectboard. The Town Treasurer shall be the collector of current taxes. The Town Tr…

§ 301. Officers The Town of Bristol shall continue to have the officers as provided for towns by the general laws of the State. However, there shall be added to the existing three members of the Selectboard an additional two members for a total of five. The two additional members…

§ 4 Auditor The Selectboard shall annually appoint a Town Auditor who shall perform all the duties of Town Auditors as required by State statute and those additional duties specified by the Selectboard. The Town Auditor need not be a resident or voter of Calais and shall serve at…

§ 401. Ordinances, etc (a) The Town of Bristol may adopt, amend, repeal, and enforce any rule, regulation, bylaw, or ordinance to carry into execution all the powers granted to the Town of Bristol. (b) Any rule, regulation, bylaw, or ordinance of the Town of Bristol may apply to …

§ 5 Severability If any provision of this charter is held invalid, the other provisions of the charter shall not be affected thereby. (Added 2017, No. M-11, § 2, eff. May 30, 2017.)

§ 501. Water Department (a) Upon the effective date of this merger, the geographic area formerly covered by the then abolished Village of Bristol shall constitute a Water Department service area for the purpose of providing water services therein. However, said Water Department s…

§ 601. Sewer Department (a) Upon the effective date of this merger, the geographic area served by the so-called Bristol core area sewer system of the then abolished Village of Bristol shall constitute a Sewer Department service area of the Town of Bristol for the purpose of provi…

§ 701. Police Department (a) Upon the effective date of the merger, the geographic area formerly covered by the then abolished Village of Bristol shall constitute a Police Department Special Service District for the purpose of providing police protection therein. (b) All costs re…

§ 801. Separability If all or any portion of any provision of these charter provisions is held invalid, the rest of these charter provisions shall not be affected thereby. If the application of any of these charter provisions to any person or circumstances is held invalid, the ap…

§ 1. Merger of the Village and Town At midnight at the end of July 9, 1986, the Village of Proctorsville shall merge into the Town of Cavendish, and the Village of Proctorsville shall, except as hereinafter provided, cease to exist as a political entity or body corporate, and the…

§ 2. Properties transferred and liabilities assumed (a) Upon the merger specified in section one of this charter, all the lands, buildings, easements, funds, uncollected taxes, monies, street lights, and other property of the Village of Proctorsville, of any description, except a…

§ 21. Applicability of general law (a) All provisions of the Constitution and general laws of the State of Vermont relating to towns and their officers shall apply to the Town of Cavendish. (b) The Town of Cavendish shall have all the powers now or hereafter conferred upon towns …

§ 22. Officers (a) The Town of Cavendish shall have the officers as provided for towns by general laws except as provided by this section. Such officers shall have all the powers and duties necessary to carry out the provisions of this merger as well as those provided by law. (b)…