Vermont H 516: An act relating to career technical education

Bill Text

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2026

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No. M-6. An act relating to approval of amendments to the charter of the
Town of Essex.
(H.516)
It is hereby enacted by the General Assembly of the State of Vermont:
Sec. 1. CHARTER AMENDMENT APPROVAL
The General Assembly approves the amendments to the charter of the Town
of Essex as set forth in this act. Voters approved the proposals of amendment
on March 4, 2025.
Sec. 2. 24 App. V.S.A. chapter 117 is amended to read:
CHAPTER 117. TOWN OF ESSEX
* * *
§ 101. CORPORATE EXISTENCE RETAINED
The inhabitants of the Town of Essex, within the corporate limits as now
established, shall continue to be a municipal corporation by the name of the
Town of Essex. Notwithstanding the provisions of any other municipal
charters, territory within the corporate limits shall not be annexed to or become
a part of any other municipal corporation except by annexation procedures as
set forth in the statutes of the State of Vermont Statutes Annotated.
§ 102. GENERAL LAW, APPLICATION
Except as modified by the provisions of this charter, or by any lawful
regulation or ordinance of the Town of Essex, all provisions of the statutes of
this State Vermont Statutes Annotated applicable to towns shall apply to the
Town of Essex.

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§ 103. POWERS OF THE TOWN
(a) The Town shall have all of the powers granted to towns and municipal
corporations by the Constitution and laws of this State; it may enact
ordinances, bylaws, and regulations not inconsistent with the Constitution and
laws of the State of Vermont or with this charter, and impose penalties for the
violation thereof of Town ordinances, bylaws, and regulations.
(b) The Town may acquire property within or without its corporate limits
for any town purpose, in fee simple or any lesser interest or estate, by
purchase, gift, devise, or lease, and may sell, lease, mortgage, hold, manage,
and control such property as its interests may acquire. The Town may further
acquire property within its corporate limits by condemnation where granted to
towns by the statutes of the State of Vermont Statutes Annotated.
* * *
§ 204. ORGANIZATION
(a) As soon as practicable after the first day of the month of the month
following annual Town meeting, the Selectboard shall organize and elect a
Chairperson, Vice Chairperson and Clerk by a majority vote of the entire
Board Selectboard, and shall file a certificate of the election for record in the
office of the Town Clerk.
(b) The Chairperson of the Selectboard or, in the Chairperson’s absence,
the Vice Chairperson, shall preside at all meetings of the Board Selectboard

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and shall be recognized as the head of the Town government for all ceremonial
purposes.
(c) In the event of death, resignation, change of residence outside the
Town, or incapacity of any Selectboard member, the remaining members of the
Board Selectboard may appoint a person eligible to fill that position until the
next annual or special meeting. At the next annual meeting, the vacancy shall
be filled by serving the remaining balance of the term. Incapacity shall include
the failure by any member of the Board to attend at least 50 per cent of the
meetings of the Board in any calendar year. In the event If the Board
Selectboard is unable to agree upon an interim replacement until the next
annual Town or special meeting, a special election shall be held forthwith to
fill the position. Incapacity shall include the failure by any member of the
Selectboard to attend at least 50 percent of the meetings of the Selectboard in
any calendar year.
(d) The Town Moderator shall perform duties as prescribed by law and
shall preside at all Town meetings, but in the Moderator’s absence the Town
Clerk shall call the meeting to order, and the first order of business shall be the
election of a Moderator Pro Tempore to preside for the duration of the
meeting. The Moderator shall conduct every meeting according to this charter
or the laws of the State of Vermont. The Moderator shall preserve order in the
conduct of the business of the meeting and in all things shall preserve the
principles of fairness and openness in Town government. In the event of the

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death, resignation, or change of residence to a location outside the Town, the
Selectboard may appoint a person eligible to fill that position until the next
annual or special Town meeting. If the Selectboard is unable to agree upon an
interim replacement until the next annual or special meeting, a special election
shall be held forthwith to fill the position.
§ 205. MEETINGS
* * *
(b) The Board Selectboard shall determine its own rules and order of
business.
* * *
(d) All meetings of the Board Selectboard shall be open to the public
unless, by an affirmative vote of the majority of the members present, the
Board Selectboard shall vote that any particular session shall be an executive
sess