Title 24APPENDIX, Title 24APPENDIX: Municipal Charters

§ 1503. Pending matters All rights, claims, actions, orders, contracts, and legal or administrative proceedings shall continue except as modified pursuant to the provisions of this charter and in each case shall be maintained, carried on, or dealt with by the Town department, off…

§ 1504. Municipal laws All Town ordinances, resolutions, orders, and regulations that are in force when this charter becomes fully effective shall remain in full force and effect excepting only those ordinances, resolutions, orders, and regulations that are inconsistent with this…

§ 1505. Fire District No. 1 East Middlebury (a) The Fire District of East Middlebury shall continue under the provisions of its charter as established by act of the State Legislature. (b) By majority vote of the Town of Middlebury and of Fire District No. 1 of East Middlebury, th…

§ 1506. Copies of the charter Two copies of this charter with amendments and information sheets, if there are any, shall be kept in all Town libraries. If at any time these copies shall become unreadable or be destroyed, the Town, at Town expense, shall provide the library with s…

§ 1507. Sec. 4 of the Incorporated District No. 4 (a) The officers of said District shall be a Moderator, a Clerk, a Treasurer, a Collector, and an Auditor, who shall be chosen annually, and a Prudential Committee of seven, hereafter to be chosen as follows: (b) At each annual me…

§ 1508. Amendment of charter This charter may be amended as set forth by State law under 17 V.S.A. § 2645.

§ 1509. Reference to State statute If any matter mentioned in this charter is said to be controlled by a specific State statute, the reference to the State statute shall include the statute as amended or renumbered, or any statute substituted therefor and having similar subject m…

§ 1510. [Transitional provision.]

§ 301. Generally The officers of the Town of Middlebury 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 provided by la…

§ 302. Elective officers (a) The officers elected by the Town at its annual meeting shall be: (1) Five Selectboard members. (2) Town Meeting Moderator. (3) Five trustees of the Ilsley Library. (4) Three listers. (5) Three auditors, unless the Town has voted to eliminate the Offic…

§ 303. Terms of office — Selectboard members (a) Each Selectboard member shall be elected for a three-year term, except in the first election after this charter is adopted, at which two Selectboard members shall be elected for three-year terms, and one Selectboard member shall be…

§ 304. Other elective officers (a) The Board of Listers. (1) The Board of Listers shall consist of three members, to be elected as follows: the first year, one shall be elected for a three-year term; the two incumbent officers shall complete their elected terms. Thereafter, one s…

§ 305. Treasurer (a) The Treasurer shall be appointed by the Selectboard. (b) The Treasurer shall perform the duties required by State statutes or provided by this charter. He or she shall: (1) promptly deposit funds coming into his or her hands in such depositories as may be des…

§ 306. Appointed officers (a) The Selectboard shall appoint any officers required by the Town’s personnel regulations or this charter. (b) The Town Manager shall function as the personnel officer of the Town. (c) Within one year after the adoption of this charter, the Selectboard…

§ 307. Recall (a) Any officer elected under subsection 302(a) of this charter may be removed from office as follows: (1) A petition signed by not less than 15 percent of the registered voters shall be filed with the Selectboard, requesting a vote on whether the elected officer sh…

§ 308. Vacancies and appointments (a) When the term of any member of the Zoning Board of Adjustment, the Planning Commission, or any other Town board or commission expires, or when the term of any officer appointed under subsections 306(d) and (e) of this charter expires, or when…

§ 309. Bonding of officers All officers of the Town required to be bonded by State law shall be bonded.

§ 501. Powers and duties (a) The members of the Selectmen shall constitute the legislative body of the Town of Middlebury for all purposes required by statutes, and except as otherwise herein specifically provided, and shall have all powers and authority given to and perform all …

§ 502. Organization (a) Forthwith after their election and qualification, the Selectboard shall organize and elect a Chair and Vice Chair by a majority vote of the entire Board. (b) The Chair of the Board, or in his or her absence, the Vice Chair, shall preside at all meetings of…

§ 503. Meetings (a) As soon as possible after the election of the Chair and Vice Chair, the Board shall fix the time and place of its regular meetings and such meetings shall be held at least twice a month. (b) The Board shall determine its own rules and order of business. (c) If…

§ 504. Record of proceedings (a) It shall be the duty of the Selectboard to keep an official record of its proceedings that shall be open for public inspection. (b) The minutes of each meeting shall be approved by the Selectboard. The official copy shall be filed in the Town Cler…

§ 505. Appointments (a) The Selectboard may appoint commissions or committees as needed. (b) Jurisdiction over other officers and employees. Neither the Selectboard nor any of its members shall direct or request the appointment, by any officer or employee of the Town, of any pers…

§ 506. Compensation (a) The auditors shall fix the compensation of the members of the Selectboard, unless the Town has voted to eliminate the Office of Auditor pursuant to 17 V.S.A. § 2651b, in which case the Town may fix the compensation of the members of the Selectboard at an a…

§ 701. Appointed by Selectboard The Selectboard shall appoint a Town Manager for an indefinite term, and upon such conditions as they may determine.

§ 702. Manager nonpartisan (a) The Manager shall be chosen solely on the basis of his or her executive, administrative, and professional qualifications. (b) The Manager shall not take part in the organization or direction of a political party, serve as a member of a party committ…

§ 703. Oath and bond Before entering upon his or her duties, the Manager shall be sworn to the faithful performance of his or her duties by the Town Clerk and shall give a bond to the Town in such amount and with such sureties as the Selectboard may require.

§ 704. Duties of Manager (a) The Manager shall be the chief executive officer of the Town and shall carry out the policies established by the Selectboard, to whom the Manager shall be responsible. (b) The Manager shall attend all meetings of the Selectboard, except when his or he…

§ 705. Compensation The Manager shall receive such compensation as may be fixed by the Selectboard.

§ 706. Removal The Selectboard may remove the Town Manager by a majority vote of its total membership. At least 30 days before such removal shall become effective, the Selectboard shall by a majority vote of its members adopt a preliminary resolution stating the reason for his or…

§ 707. Absence To perform the Manager’s duties in his or her temporary absence or disability, the Manager may, with the consent of the Board, designate by letter filed with the Town Clerk a qualified person. If the Manager fails to make such designation, the Selectboard may appoi…

§ 901. Application of general laws Provisions of the laws of the State of Vermont relating to voter qualification, warnings, method of voting, the duties of town officers at town meetings and elections, and all other particulars relating to preparation for conducting and managing…

§ 902. Time of holding (a) An annual Town meeting for the consideration of the budget and other Town business shall be held according to State law except as hereinafter provided. (b) The ballot boxes shall be open for a minimum of nine consecutive hours determined and warned by t…

§ 903. Eligible voters A method for the identification and designation of the eligible voters in Town meeting shall be established and enforced by the Board of Civil Authority.

§ 904. Polling places In any annual or special Town or Town School District meeting for the purpose of the election of officers and the voting on all questions to be decided by Australian ballot, such polling places as needed shall be established by the Board of Civil Authority.

§ 905. Postponement and combining of Town meetings (a) The Selectboard may postpone the vote on any question to be voted at a special Town meeting to the annual meeting or the November federal general election if such special meeting falls within 75 days of the annual meeting or …

§ 906. Voting question by Australian ballot The Selectboard may cause any question to be voted by Australian ballot at any annual meeting or at any special Town meeting called on their motion or by petition, provided that the warning for such meeting specifies the questions to be…

§ 1. Statement of purpose Under the authority granted by the General Assembly of the State of Vermont, this charter establishes certain guidelines with respect to organization and functioning of local Town government in the Town of Montgomery. (Added 2021, No. M-18 (Adj. Sess.), …

§ 1. Corporate existence retained The inhabitants of the Town of Morristown, within the corporate limits now established, shall continue to be a municipal corporation by the name of the Town of Morristown. (Added 2025, No. M-2, § 3, eff. May 5, 2025.)

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

§ 1001. Fiscal year The fiscal year shall commence on the first day of July and end on the last day of June of the following calendar year, unless the Town or School District at their annual meeting shall determine otherwise. (Amended 2021, No. M-16 (Adj. Sess.), § 2, eff. May 31…

§ 1002. Preparation and submission of general budget (a) At least 120 days before the date of the regular annual Town and School District meeting, each department or commission head shall submit to the Town Manager, in the case of the Town, and the Superintendent of the School Di…

§ 1003. Preparation and submission of the capital budget (a) At least 120 days before the date of the regular annual Town and School District meeting, each department or commission head shall submit to the Town Manager, in the case of the Town, and the Superintendent of the Schoo…

§ 1004. Savings clause Failure to perform any of the duties specified in section 1002 or 1003 of this charter or failure to perform any such duties within the time limits specified in section 202, 805, 1002, or 1003 of this charter shall not invalidate any action taken at a prope…

§ 1005. Appropriations The Town and School District shall vote to adopt a budget that shall include the proposed expenditures by each department, in case of the Town, and by State guidelines, in the case of the School District, for the coming fiscal year. (Amended 2021, No. M-16 …

§ 1006. Amount to be raised by taxation (a) Upon passage of the budget by vote of the Town, the amounts stated therein as the amounts to be raised by property taxes shall constitute determination of the amount of the levy for the purpose of the Town in the corresponding tax year …

§ 1007. Budget limitations—Borrowing (a) The incurring of bonded indebtedness, the issuing of bonds, the making of temporary loans in anticipation of bond sales, and all other matters pertaining to bonded indebtedness shall be controlled by 24 V.S.A. chapter 53 as applicable. (b)…