Office of the Vermont
Secretary of State -
www.sec.state.vt.us
26 Terrace Street,
Montpelier, VT 05609-1101 : Phone 802-828-2363
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Volume 11,
Number 4
April 2009
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Message from the Secretary |
Table of Contents |
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A special welcome to all of our newest local
officials. For many of you this may be your first Opinions
newsletter. The Opinions began as a publication in 1981 as a
way to help local officials and interested citizens navigate the
ever-changing landscape of local government law and practice. I can
tell by the number of e-mails, calls and cards we have received in
response to the Opinions that local officials and citizens
continue to find value in this publication. Perhaps it is because,
when we see our own town’s challenges reflected in the stories of
other communities, we feel less alone in our work.
Although I hope our Opinions are
interesting to read and sometimes help you solve a problem or avoid
a mistake, they are not rulings that are binding on towns or
citizens like a decision of a court. Rather, when we issue opinions
they are just that – our opinions. We have no power to force
citizens or officials to do the right thing, to treat each other
civilly, to follow the law. Rather, through our opinions, Deputy
Secretary Bill Dalton, Director of Elections Kathy DeWolfe and I
share with you what we believe the law requires based on our best
legal judgment and from our many years of observing Vermont’s local
governments and following the decisions of our courts.
The thoughts expressed in our opinions also
reflect our philosophy of openness and fairness in government and in
the inherent value of local control. Whenever there is a question
about what the law says or what is required of an official, our
advice is conservative. We try to keep you out of trouble by
counseling prudence over risk-taking, openness over secrecy and due
process over bureaucratic expediency.
We believe that by publishing questions and
answers from the previous month, it lets people know what is going
on in local government around the state, and helps officials learn
from the experiences of others. We also hope that this information
will eliminate some of the telephone calls and e-mails that can –
and sometimes still do – consume this office.
The citizen volunteers who run our local
governments in Vermont deserve all the support we can give them. It
is my hope that
Opinions
offers them that support and, in
doing so, helps to strengthen our town governments.

Deborah L. Markowitz
Secretary of State
Table of Contents
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Past Issues of
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Message from the Secretary
Voice From the Vault
Opinions of
Opinions
Civics Behind the Scenes
Centennial Business Awards
Tip of the Month
Municipal
Calendar
Quote of the Month
Services to Municipalities
Welcome New Town Clerks!
Upcoming
Events
Mailing Updates
Opinions
Newsletter Home Page
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Voice From the Vault
by Gregory Sanford |
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Home on the LaGrange
While I hope this column has some gravitas, it
won’t have much gravity. Let me explain. Astronomers have identified
places where there truly is no gravity. Known as Lagrangian points,
they are voids in space where the gravitational pull of surrounding
heavenly bodies effectively cancel each other out. The earth has five
Lagrangian points the most stable of which (L4 and L5) circle the sun,
respectively, 60 degrees in front and behind the earth’s orbit.
Given their complete absence of gravity scientists
view the points as celestial flypaper; objects caught in them are
suspended in time and space. NASA will be sending two probes into L4
and L5 in the hopes that these suspended objects will provide
information on how the solar system was formed.
No, this not another attempt to explain how so much
"stuff" accumulated in my old Redstone office over the course of a
quarter century (I am, by the bye, now successfully ensconced in
Middlesex). Rather Lagrangian points stir thoughts about the archival
function and our role in government. Too often archives are perceived
as Lagrangian points where objects are suspended in place and time,
holding objects that help explain our origins; objects that remain
unobserved until someone with sufficient resources probes their
depths.
Observers of the Vermont State Archives and Records
Administration realize that we have taken a different course,
launching probes from the vault in order to share our
information with as broad an audience as possible. We have had some
success and have received some national and even international
recognition for our efforts. And yet it still feels as if our efforts
are inadequate.
This feeling of inadequacy was once again inspired
by public dialogues emerging from an ongoing legislative session.
Take, for example, the bundle of issues surrounding whether to
relicense the Vermont Yankee nuclear power plant. We have discussed
Vermont Yankee (VY) since it was first proposed and built. On February
25, 1983 Richard Saudek, the public service commissioner, wrote
Governor Richard Snelling about how to create a VY decommissioning
fund. He wrote that several decommissioning methods had been
considered, with one "well-considered proposal" calling "for
disassembling the reactor and burying the radioactive portion at an
approved burial site. Vermont Yankee projects that this will cost
$72.7 million in 1981 dollars. With seven percent inflation, this cost
rises to $423 million by the year 2007 when it is projected Vermont
Yankee will cease operations." He then went on to discuss a couple of
different strategies for creating "a state decommissioning fund."
Three years later, on June 13, 1986, Public Service
Commissioner Gerald Tarrant, responding to Burlington Mayor Bernie
Sanders’ suggestion for shutting down VY, wrote Governor Madeleine
Kunin of his reservations. In particular he was not sure Sanders was
right in thinking that 30 percent of the power currently provided by
VY could be off-set though conservation. He thought such conservation
efforts would take "closer to 15 than 3 years to reach those levels"
and that it would "require consumer participation rates far in excess
of those experienced in the last 15 years by most conservation
programs..."
I recite these examples as part of my ongoing
efforts to demonstrate that the State’s archival records can provide
context to "current" issues, thus informing our public dialogues; this
column is but one example of those efforts. I hasten to add that there
is a paucity of archival records that document our evolving discussion
of VY. What I found was primarily in gubernatorial records and largely
dealt with responses to "incidents" at the power plant. Providing two,
somewhat arbitrarily chosen, records on an important issue such as
Vermont Yankee obviously does not create much, if any context.
There are innumerable other current issues that
have antecedents caught in VSARA’s Lagrangian point, which leads to my
current feelings of inadequacy. How can we better identify and present
the records-based information we hold? How do we move beyond a general
sense that we have a right to know toward an understanding of what we
need or want to know? How do we address the gaps in our holdings that
limit our ability to provide a fuller context?
VSARA was created, in part, to answer the last
question. By implementing a modern, comprehensive, and standards-based
records management program we hope that government can better document
its core functions and activities. The other questions are more
difficult to answer. To simply say digitize everything and put it
online is inadequate. It does not address the costs of such a massive
digitization program or the even more expensive indexing required for
locating information germane to any particular issue possible
("indexing" covers a host of realities in a digital and connected
world).
VSARA does not have the resources, nor is it
necessarily part of its mission, to conduct extensive research, in a
timely manner, to interject records/context into every important
issue. Vermont’s universities and colleges also lack the resources to
conduct such research (though I continue to encourage them to explore
possible partnerships with us). Advocates can and do research at VSARA
but their searches, understandably, are for records that support a
particular perspective. Reporters are on deadline and don’t have the
time or resources to research a fuller context than what is needed to
tell today’s stories. Indeed, few among us have the time, training, or
inclination to spend hours doing research in archives.
I take pride in what the staff has accomplished
within our limited resources. The Society of American Archivists
recognized their work with an award for our "continuing issues"
initiative (http://vermont-archives.org/govhistory/governance/index.htm).
I was humbled to recently read a talk by a Canadian archivist to New
Zealand’s archival organization extolling our efforts to make archival
records part of the public dialogue.
As pleasing as such recognition is we still need to
explore ways to expand beyond our Lagrangian point. I welcome
suggestions from you, the long-suffering reader of this column.
Perhaps I misspoke at the beginning; this is an issue of some gravity.
Table of Contents |
Past Issues of
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Opinions of
Opinions |
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1. Selectboard may accept and spend grants and gifts. It is no
longer necessary to include a general article to authorize the
selectboard to apply for and accept gifts and grants in each
warning. In 2008, the legislature amended 17 V.S.A§2664 to add two
sentences: "The selectboard may apply for grants and may accept
and expend grants or gifts above those which are approved in the
town budget. The selectboard shall include, in its annual report, a
description of all grants or gifts accepted during the year and
associated expenditures."
2. BCA may lower, raise, or sustain tax
appraisal on appeal. As tax appeal time nears, remember that
on appeals from the listers' decision to the board of civil
authority, the BCA may increase, decrease, or sustain the
appraisal. 32 V.S.A. §4409. Once the taxpayer raises the issue of
the property’s valuation, the BCA must make findings to support
what the BCA believes to be the correct valuation of the property,
even if that is an increase. The same is true for further appeals
to the state board of appraisers or the superior court.
3. Taxpayer who wins appeal is given credit
toward future taxes unless town wishes to pay the taxpayer in
cash. If a taxpayer succeeds on appeal, and it is determined
that he has been over-assessed, then he is entitled to a credit
from the municipality, and if the municipality has voted to
collect interest on delinquent taxes, then he must be repaid
interest at the same rate. 32 V.S.A. §§4469, 5136. A
municipality can choose to pay the taxpayer in a lump sum, but the
statute only mandates a credit.
4. There is no reconsideration of elections of
officers. While 17 V.S.A. §2661 provides a method for
reconsideration of public questions and budgets, the election of
officers cannot be reconsidered by filing a petition with the
legislative body. The only way to challenge or contest an
election of an officer is by filing a petition with the
appropriate superior court. 17 V.S.A. §2603. The statute sets out
that you must allege either errors sufficient to change the
outcome of the election, fraud in the process sufficient to change
the result or, that for any other reason, the election is not
valid.
5. A lister can be a justice of the peace, but
lister/justice may not participate in tax appeal. Many small
towns have difficulty finding people to serve in various offices.
It is legally permissible (i.e., there is no statutory conflict or
prohibition) for a person to be elected both as a lister and as a
justice of the peace. The lister/justice may take an active role
in election duties, except when the person is in a contested race
for the lister office. However, the lister cannot sit on the BCA
for the purposes of tax appeals because the appeal is from the
lister’s determination of value.
6. Selectboard fills vacancies when no one is
elected to office. At a town meeting in a town that does NOT
use Australian ballot for election of town officers, if no one is
nominated from the floor, the office remains vacant and the
selectboard must appoint until an election is had. The
selectboard or moderator cannot "force" the town meeting to keep
nominating until someone accepts the nomination. If there are no
nominations for an office, the selectboard appoints. If at a later
date other interest arises in the office, five percent of the
legal voters can always petition for a special election.
7. A town employee cannot request that his
paycheck be made out to his spouse. A paycheck must be made
out to the employee directly. The only exception to this rule is
for legal garnishments where there is a court order to redirect a
part of the paycheck.
8. Adjourned meeting must stick to original
warning. If an annual meeting is adjourned to a date certain
to continue the meeting, the adjourned session can only include
completion of voting and discussion of articles which were in the
original warning. New articles cannot be added during the recess.
The adjourned session is a continuation of the original meeting.
If the deadline for posting of the warning has passed, and your
board has thought of another article which you want voted, you
will need to either warn a special meeting or save it for next
year.
9. Absentee ballots should be sent when there
is a reconsideration vote. Although the law does not speak
directly to requesting absentee ballots for reconsideration of an
article by Australian ballot, we suggest that fairness dictates
that the town clerk send absentee ballots for the reconsideration
to all voters who had requested absentee ballots for town meeting.
Reconsideration is really an extension of that town meeting, and
we believe that absent voters should continue to participate.
10. New school budget vote must be held using
voting method of original vote. When a school district has
previously voted to adopt its budget by Australian ballot, and the
budget is rejected at an Australian ballot election, the school
board prepares a revised budget and sets another Australian ballot
vote on the revised budget. 17 V.S.A.§2680(c). The next
vote on the revised budget must be by Australian ballot, even if
the voters approved an article to discontinue the use of the
Australian ballot at this year’s annual meeting. All votes on the
revised budget must be by Australian ballot until a budget is
passed for this year. At the next annual meeting, the budget will
be voted from the floor based upon the approval of the article to
discontinue use of the Australian ballot for budgets. Basically,
the law contemplates use of the same system of voting until the
budget is passed. A recent Vermont Supreme Court case on an
analogous set of facts confirms this interpretation. The court
held that a vote on the reconsideration of an article must be done
using the same voting system as used for the original vote.
11. Board may require landowner to redirect
light that is a hazard. If an artificial light creates a
hazard to users of a town highway the selectboard may require the
owner of the light to remove or change it to eliminate the
problem. 19 V.S.A. § 1104.
12. A person who obstructs a public highway can
be fined. A person who obstructs a public highway or trail so
that the public cannot easily travel along it or so that someone
is injured can be fined $1,000 plus the actual costs of repairing
the damages as well as attorney's fees. The law exempts one or
more items of logging or other equipment temporarily within the
right-of-way of a trail, so long as it is located in such a way as
not to unreasonably impede passage. 19 V.S.A. § 1105.
13. A person who injures town highways can be
fined. A person who recklessly or purposefully hurts a highway
or bridge by destroying it, removing part of it, digging pits, or
who damages a highway by obstructing or diverting a stream or by
dragging logs or timber or any other object on the road must pay
the cost of repairing the bridge or road plus $100. In addition,
the person will be liable to the town or any individual harmed by
the damage in a civil action. 19 V.S.A. § 1108.
14. The time for dog licensing and tags is here.
Just a brief reminder that the dog must wear the "license" tag
required by the Vermont statutes. This tag is sufficient proof
that the dog has been vaccinated for rabies. An additional
"rabies" tag is not required. 20 V.S.A. §3581(a).
15. Dog who moves within state does not have to
be relicensed. A dog license obtained from a Vermont clerk is
valid in any part of the state. The license may be transferred to
the new town, provided it is where the dog or wolf-hybrid is kept.
The clerk of the new town must record the license when he or
she is presented with a valid license that
had been issued by another town clerk. 20 V.S.A. § 3591.
16. Towns must have a pound. Vermont law
requires that every town designate a pound for the purpose of
"impounding beasts." The pound may be in an adjacent town and the
pound keeper does not have to be a town resident. 20 VSA §
3381.
17. Animals found doing damage on another
property can be impounded. Any animal found doing damage on
another person’s property can be impounded. 20 V.S.A. §
3411. The pound keeper must provide food and water to the animal
and must provide notice to the owner of the animal (if known)
within 24 hours of the impoundment. The notice must require the
owner to come to the pound within 24 hours so that appraisers can
be appointed to determine how much damage the animal has done. 20
V.S.A. §§ 3412, 3413. If the owner is unknown, the
pound keeper must post a notice within 48 hours, in public places
in the town where the animal was found and in two adjoining towns,
describing such animal and when and where he or she was found. 20
V.S.A. § 3418. The pound keeper must keep the animal for 30
days after advertising and if no one comes to claim the animal,
the animal may be sold (after an additional six days notice.) 20
V.S.A. § 3421.
18. Deliberative session is exempt from the
open meeting law. Deliberative sessions are totally exempt
from the open meeting law so that a board does not have to warn
the session, and the decision of the board does not need to be
adopted in open session so long as the decision is in writing and
is a public record. 1 V.S.A. 312(f). A deliberative session can be
used by a board at the end of a quasi-judicial proceeding to
discuss the merits of the application, weigh the evidence, and
arrive at points that the board wants to address in its written
decision. 1 V.S.A. §312(e). Applications for site plan
approval (planning commission or development review board),
requests for variances (zoning board of adjustment or development
review board), and requests for a curb cut or driveway permit (selectboard)
are examples of quasi-judicial hearings. On the other hand, a
planning commission hearing on adoption of a zoning by-law or work
sessions to draft revisions to the zoning bylaw or an ordinance
are a legislative type of proceedings and deliberative sessions
cannot be used.
19. A person may become a temporary officiant
to perform a marriage or civil union ceremony. In Vermont in
most cases judges, justices of the peace, and members of the
clergy solemnize marriages or civil unions. A new law passed in
2008 also permits an individual who applies to be a temporary
officiant to solemnize a particular marriage or civil union. The
temporary officiant must fill out an application form (available
from the Secretary of State’s office) identifying the couple being
married or entering into a civil union. After paying a fee of
$100.00 the officiant will receive a certificate of authority that he or she
must attach to the marriage license when it is returned to the
town clerk’s office for recording. 18 V.S.A. § 5144. For
information about temporary officiants visit
http://www.sec.state.vt.us/municipal/officiant.htm
20. Legislative body or manager hires police
chief. Vermont law gives the power to establish a police
department and hire the chief of police to the legislative body or
town manager (in towns that have a town manager). Because the law
specifically gives this authority to the selectboard or manager we
do not believe that a court would permit voters to petition to
have a vote on the matter. 24 V.S.A. § 1931. The board or
manager can create a hiring committee to review applications,
conduct interviews, and make a recommendation, but it is not
required to do this.
21. The police chief directs and controls the
police force. The law specifically grants the police chief the
authority to direct and control the police force for the town.
This means that the selectboard and manager, who generally oversee
the personnel of the town, do not have direct control over these
employees. 24 V.S.A. § 1931.
22. With permission, the board chair can sign
on behalf of the board. Title 1 section 172 provides that,
"when joint authority is given to three or more, the concurrence
of a majority of such number shall be sufficient and shall be
required in its exercise." This means that a single board member
has no independent authority to act. That being said, the law
permits the chair or vice chair, with the board’s permission, to
sign on behalf of the board any decision or order issued by it. 24
V.S.A. §1141.
23. Local officials may work without pay.
Except when compensation is set by law (as in the clerk, treasurer
and delinquent tax collector), a local official may not make a
claim for compensation for personal services to the town. 24 V.S.A.
§931. This means that, despite the Fair Labor Standards Act and
state laws that require the payment of a minimum wage for work
done, local officials are presumed to be volunteers unless the law
specifically provides, the selectboard sets compensation, or the
town votes otherwise.
In our monthly Opinions, we provide what we
believe the law requires based upon our legal judgment, years of
observing Vermont's local government practices, and Vermont Court
decisions. This information is intended as a reference guide only
and should not replace the advice of legal counsel.
Table of Contents | Past Issues
of Opinions | Secretary of State's Homepage
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Civics Behind the Scenes
by Missy Shea, Civics Education & Vote
Outreach Coordinator |
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Vermont High School Voter Registration Week
May 18-22, 2009
Vermont's High School Voter Registration Week is May 18-22. The
Secretary of State's Office designates a special week each spring to
encourage schools to use the time to hold a registration drive, or
plan for one in the future. It is critical that we teach students
about voting because, whether they plan to head off to further
education, work, or the armed services, each student will emerge from
high school as a young adult, with an important role to play in
society.
Many states have undertaken initiatives to increase youth voter
registration and participation, including legislation that lowers the
age of registration for those who will meet the eligibility
requirements by the time of the next federal election. In 2007,
Californian Assemblyman Joseph Coto introduced a bill makes voter
registration a requirement for high school graduation. The New America
Foundation, a non-profit, non-partisan public policy institute,
endorsed the idea:
"Because students in effect are a "captive audience," high
schools are an ideal place for engaging young people and
incorporating them into our representative democracy. If young
people are not hooked into democratic institutions and practices
while they’re in high school, it becomes more difficult to do so
after they leave high school. And if they are not on the voter
rolls then it is nearly impossible for candidates or political
organizations to contact or engage them directly. Their lack of
participation results in a "disengagement cycle" that becomes
increasingly difficult to break. High school in many cases is the
final opportunity to fully engage young people about participating
in our democracy. Having common sense practices for engaging young
people in high school is crucial."
Secretary Markowitz has long understood the importance of young
voter participation. The Secretary of State’s Office has been
providing voter education and registration support for years now. High
School Voter Registration Week is a wonderful opportunity for new
voters to be guided through the registration process. By working with
their local high schools, town clerks are a wonderful resource for
getting students prepared to vote. But collaborating with schools to
run registration drives also helps the clerk, because clerk
involvement ensures that correct information is being given and the
process is being properly followed. Such collaboration leads to a
smooth inclusion on the voter checklist, and an easier time at the
polls on election day for all involved.
If there is not a voter registration connection between the town
clerk and the local high school where you live, please consider
volunteering your time to help create one. The future of our democracy
will benefit from it, and you’ll feel great.
For more information about the Secretary of State’s Office’s Civics
Programs
Visit
www.sec.state.vt.us
or contact Missy Shea at 802-828-1296
or email
mshea@sec.state.vt.us
Table of Contents | Past Issues
of Opinions |
Secretary of State's Homepage
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Tip of the Month |
To save on materials and staff time, many towns send town reports with
no envelope. Mt. Tabor and Winhall, for example, create town reports
that have a saddle staple binding, and are held shut with a clear
sticker. Each has the back cover printed with the town’s return
address (including phone number), and a message that tells voters when
and where town meeting is this year. Many towns also print a message
on the back cover: "Please bring this report to town meeting." The
only thing that needs to be done is to affix a mailing label and a
stamp. The town saves time and money, and the voter immediately sees
and recognizes the town report!If you have a tip to share, contact John Cushing at
jcushing@town.milton.vt.us.
Table of Contents | Past Issues
of Opinions |
Secretary of State's Homepage
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Centennial Business Awards |
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The 2009 Vermont Centennial
Business Awards were held on
Thursday, March 5, at 4:00 p.m.
at the Vermont State House.
This year's honorees include:
Bryant Grinder - Springfield - est. 1909
Panton General Store - Panton - est. 1908
Lake Morey Resort - Fairlee - est. 1905
Burlington Drug Company - Milton - est. 1891
JW & DE Ryan - Vergennes - est. 1887
Northfield News - Northfield - est. 1878
Trow and Holden - Barre - est. 1860
Goodrich’s Sugarhouse - Cabot - est. 1835
Molly Brook Farm - West Danville - est. 1835
Reed Supply Co - St. Johnsbury - est. 1828
Jericho Center Country Store - Jericho - est. 1807
for photos of the event more information go to
http://www.sec.state.vt.us/centennial_business.html
Table of Contents | Past Issues
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Secretary of State's Homepage
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Quote of the Month |
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Forgive me my nonsense
as I also forgive the nonsense of those who
think they talk sense.
— Robert Frost
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of Opinions |
Secretary of State's Homepage
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Services to Municipalities |
The Secretary of State’s Office wants all newly elected officials to
know that we are here to help. We have many resources available to
assist you in your job. Please do not hesitate to contact us!
Education and Training - Click here
for upcoming sessions.
• Leadership workshops for local board chairs.
• Training for boards of civil authority on tax appeals,
abatement, marriage and civil unions, oaths of office, etc.
• Election workshops – training for election workers.
• Onsite and regional workshops on a variety of topics from A
(authority of local
officials) to Z (zoning and planning).
Telephone Inquiries
Every year we answer thousands of calls from local officials and
citizens about municipal laws and practices. You can call us at
1-800-439-8683.
Opinions Newsletter
A monthly newsletter is available to local officials and members of the
public that includes articles on municipal issues and opinions on
legal and practical questions concerning local government. Opinions
is available at
http://www.sec.state.vt.us/municipal/opinions.htm
Publications
We publish numerous free handbooks and pamphlets on topics of
municipal law and practice from the Law of Libraries, to the Rules on
School Governance, to the Tax Appeal Handbook and more. The
publications are available in hard copy as well as electronically on
our website at
http://www.sec.state.vt.us/municipal/
Table of Contents | Past Issues
of Opinions |
Secretary of State's Homepage
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Welcome New Town Clerks |
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Welcome New Town Clerks
Carol Cleland, Alburgh
Benjamin Heisholt, Barnet
Deborah Woodward, Fairfax
Jeff Bradley, Mendon
Gloria Cristelli, Newfane
Lynne Leavitt, Pomfret
Gene Craft, Vershire
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And, join us in thanking the following town clerks
for their service!
Barbara Baker, Alburgh
Bill Hoar, Barnet
Donna Meunier, Fairfax
Ann Singiser, Mendon
Jahari Overton, Newfane
Andy Mann, Pomfret
Naomi LaBarr, Vershire
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Upcoming Events |
Town Officers Education Conferences
Workshops will be offered on a variety of topics of interest to
municipal officials, including local land use officials. These events
are sponsored by the UVM Extension Service. For more information
contact Mary Peabody at 802-223-2389 or email at
mary.peabody@uvm.edu. An
agenda and online registration is now available at
http://www.regonline.com/Checkin.asp?EventId=703206
April 9 - Lyndon State College
April 13 - St. Michael's College, Colchester
April 28 - Lake Morey Inn, Fairlee
May 6 - Rutland Holiday Inn
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BCA/JP Trainings
Secretary of State Deb Markowitz and municipal law attorney Charles
Merriman will provide an overview of the duties of justices of the
peace, and will discuss the tax assessment appeal process and
abatement. All interested municipal officials are encouraged to
attend. (This is the same training that was offered this past January
to new justices of the peace).
Thursday, April 16, 5:00 to 6:30 pm - Waterbury State Complex,
Room 100, Stanley Hall
Tuesday, April 21, 3:30 to 5:00 pm- Milton Town Community Room,
Centre Drive
Thursday, April 23, 3:30 to 5:00 pm - Bennington Fire Facility,
130 River Street
Thursday, April 30, 3:00 to 4:30 pm - Brattleboro Town Offices,
230 Main Street, Room 212
Tuesday, May 5, 4:00 to 5:30 pm - Rutland City Hall, Aldermans'
Chambers, 1 Strongs Avenue
Thursday, May 14, 3:30 to 5:00 pm - Springfield Municipal Office,
96 Main Street
Tuesday, May 19, 3:30 to 5:00 pm – Newport, Gateway Building, 84
Fyfe Drive, 1st Floor
Wednesday, May 27, 3:00 to 4:30 pm - Caledonia Superior Court,
1126 Main Street, St. Johnsbury
To register, please contact your local municipal clerk. Cost is
$25.00 for one person, $50.00 for two or more attendees from the same
town. Space is limited. Deadline is 7 days prior to event. Directions
and any cancellation notices will be posted on our website at
http://www.sec.state.vt.us/municipal/.
________________________________________________________________________________________________________
Listers Education Courses
- offered by the Vermont Tax Department
NEMRC Basics Computer Lab
Monday, April 6, 2009 – Royalton Academy
Thursday, April 9, 2009 – Londonderry Town Hall
Monday, April 20, 2009 – TEGU Municipal Building, Morrisville
9:00 a.m. to 3:00 p.m.
Tuition: $ 50.00 VT Town officers, $ 75.00 Firms and others
This session is for listers who are new to their position or need
to learn the basics. Students will learn basic data entry skills and
have the opportunity to enter a property into the system. Minimal
computer skills. Maximum of 12/session. Registration form is available
at
http://www.state.vt.us/tax/pvrlistereducation.shtml, or call
802-828-5860 for more information.
Apex Sketching
Instructors: Charlene Lathrop/Frank Partsch
Tuesday, April 14 2009 – Londonderry Town Hall
Wednesday, April 22, 2009 – Lyndon Town Municipal Building
Wednesday, April 29, 2009 – Royalton Academy
9:00 a.m. to 3:00 p.m.
Tuition: $ 50.00 VT Town officers, $ 75.00 Firms and others
This session is for listers who are new to their position, are
planning to purchase the CAMA 2000 system or have just had the system
installed. Students will complete basic sketching and will have the
opportunity to enter a property into the system. A Marshall and Swift
introduction will precede the computer lab. Limited computer skills
are acceptable. Maximum of 12/session. Registration form is available
at
http://www.state.vt.us/tax/pvrlistereducation.shtml or call
802-828-5860 for more information.
New Lister Training
Instructors: DAs
Tuesday, April 21, 2009 – Emory Hebard State Office Building,
Newport City
Monday, April 27, 2009 – South Burlington Garage
Wednesday, May 13, 2009 – Royalton Academy
Thursday, May 14, 2009 – Rutland Town Hall
Thursday, May 21, 2009 – Londonderry Town Hall
9:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m.
Tuition: $ 75.00 VT Town officers, $ 100.00 Firms and others
These sessions are for newly elected listers or those who have
never been through an entire year of listing activities. You will
learn about the various responsibilities of the office including
lodging a grand list, downloading homestead declarations, and the
obligations of the office. Attention will be given to schedules,
exemptions, current use calculation and property valuation.
Registration form is available at
http://www.state.vt.us/tax/pvrlistereducation.shtml, or call
802-828-5860 for more information.
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Municipal Calendar |
APRIL 2009
1 - Last day for dog or wolf-hybrid licensing. 20 V.S.A. § 3581(a)
1 - Base date for setting appraisal value and determining ownership
of real and personal property. 32 V.S.A. § 3482
1 - Last day for town clerk to furnish listers with transfer book
for preceding 12-month period. 32 V.S.A.§ 3485(a)
1 - Last day a run-off election may be held (twenty-two days after
warning; warning within seven days after election). 17 V.S.A. §
2682(e)
2 - Last day for voters to file petitions for reconsideration or
rescission of articles voted on at town meeting (within 30 days of the
meeting). 17 V.S.A. § 2661(b)
15 - Last day for U.S. Congressional candidates to file FEC
quarterly reports for the April quarter (Jan. 1-Mar. 30). 2 U.S.C. §
434(a)(2)
15 - Last day for legislative body to notify the Commissioner of
Children and Families of appointment of town service officer. 33 V.S.A.
§ 2101(a)
20 - Last day for return of property inventories to listers. 32
V.S.A. § 4404
25 - State Withholding Tax Return is due (actual date by which
return must be postmarked is shown on the printed form) if reporting
less than $2,500 per quarter. More than $2,500 requires monthly
report; more than $9,000 requires semi-weekly report. 32 V.S.A. § 5842
30 - Last day for listers to receive applications for tax exemption
due to disabled veteran status. 32 V.S.A. § 3802(11)
30 - Last day to file Form 941 (Quarterly Withholding Return) with
the IRS.
MAY 2009
15 - Last day for town clerk to remit to state treasurer an
accounting of dog and wolf-hybrid licenses sold and remit the license
fee surcharge for a rabies control program. 20 V.S.A. § 3581(f).
25 - Memorial Day. 1 V.S.A. § 371(a).
The Municipal Calendar is provided by the
Vermont League of Cities and Towns/Chittenden Bank and the Secretary
of State's Office.
The Secretary of State's 2009-2010
Elections Calendar is available
here.
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